




















flass TS y 2 

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Copyright N°_ 


CflEmiGHT DEPQSffi 






















“ The Lord ruleth me : and I shall want nothing. 
He hath set me in a place of pasture. He hath 
brought me up, on the water of refreshment: He 

hath converted my soul.Thou hast prepared a 

table before me.... Thou hast anointed my head 
with oil; and my chalice which inebriateth me, 
how goodly it is! ” (Ps. XXII, Is.) 


THE 

Sacraments Explained 


ACCORDING TO THE MUNICH 
OR PSYCHOLOGICAL METHOD 


FOR CHILDREN OF THE 

INTERMEDIATE AND HIGHER GRADES 


BASED ON THE BALTIMORE 
CATECHISM (No. 2) 


AN AID TO CATECHISTS 


BY 

REV. JOSEPH J. BAIERL 

il 


THE SEMINARY PRESS 
ROCHESTER, N. Y. 
1921 




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XXVII Septembris, MCMXXL 

J. F. GOGGIN, 
Censor ex officio. 


imprimatur 


Datum Roffae, die iv Octobris, MCMXXI. 

* THOMAS, 
Episcopus Roffensis. 

Copyright 1921 

by 



JOSEPH J. BAIERL 
The Seminary Press, P. 0. Box 1004 
Rochester, N. Y. 

ART PRINT SHOP, 77 ST. PAUL ST., ROCHESTER, N. Y. 



PREFACE 

The purpose of this volume is to offer to catechists 
some practical aids, to enable them to train children 
of the intermediate and higher grades of our primary 
schools to appreciate better the wondrous sacramental 
life of the Church. These instructions, based on the 
Baltimore Catechism (No. 2) and supplemented by 
Deharbe's Catechism, are an adaptation of Dr. H. 
Stieglitz's splendid work, “Ausgefiihrte Katechesen 
fiber die katholische Gnadenlehre" I Teil (in part) u. 
II Teil (Jos. Kosel'sche Buchhandlung,. Kempten & 
Munich, 1908). They are arranged, therefore, accord¬ 
ing to the so-called Munich or Psychological Method, 
which the reader will find amply expounded in the 
Preface to our volume ‘The Creed Explained." 

We have developed the instructions on Penance and 
the Holy Eucharist more fully than is usually done. 
However, the importance of these two Sacraments for 
the child's spiritual life ought to be a sufficient justi¬ 
fication for a thorough treatment of these indispens¬ 
able means of grace. In this connection the catechist 
may find it helpful to employ the leaflet entitled “A 
Method of Confession and Communion,” which we 
have published under separate cover. The Catholic 
doctrine on the Holy Eucharist as a Sacrifice is spe¬ 
cially treated in our booklet “The Holy Sacrifice of the 
Mass." 

These instructions are meant to be “aids"; conse¬ 
quently they are not to be taken literally. After all the 
chief factor in catechization, under grace, is the cate¬ 
chist himself. He is the living intermediary between 
the printed text and the child's soul. It is his peculiar 
function to adapt the dead letter to the vital needs of 
his audience. Urged on by the kind words of many 
teachers, who have successfully employed our volumes 


v 


VI 


on the Creed, the Commandments and Holy Mass, we 
have been encouraged to explain the Sacraments in 
accordance with the principles of the Munich or Psy¬ 
chological Method. 

We add a brief Bibliography of useful works for the 
catechist. Pohle-Preuss: The Sacraments, vols. I-IV 
(B. Herder Book Co.; St. Louis, Mo.; 1915-1917) ; A. 
Devine: The Sacraments Explained (R. & T. Wash- 
bourne, London, 1905) ; Exposition of Christian Doc¬ 
trine, Part III, by a Seminary Professor (John Mc- 
Vey, Philadelphia, 1920) ; Catechism of the Council of 
Trent, trans. into English by the Rev. J. Donovan, D. 
D.; (Jas. Duffy, Dublin) ; Bernard J. Otten, S. J.: The 
Sacramental Life of the Church (B. Herder Book Co. ; 
St. Louis, Mo.; i907) ; F. Spirago & R. Clarke, S. J.: 
The Catechism Explained (Benziger Bros., N. Y.) ; 
Thos. L. Kinkead: An Explanation of the Baltimore 
Catechism (Benziger Bros., N. Y.) ; A. A. Lambing: 
The Sacramentals of the Holy Catholic Church (Ben¬ 
ziger Bros., N. Y.) ; F. Spirago & J. Baxter: Anecdotes 
and Examples Illustrating the Catholic Catechism 
(Benziger Bros., N. Y.) ; P. Power: Catechism, Doc¬ 
trinal, Moral, Historical, Liturgical, vol. Ill (Jas. 
Duffy & Co., Dublin) ; W. Faeber & F. Girardy, C. SS. 
R.: Commentary on the Catechism (B. Herder Book 
Co., St. Louis, Mo., 1906); Geo. Howe: The Cate¬ 
chist, vol. II (R. & T. Washbourne, London, 1898) ; D. 
Chisholm: The Catechism in Examples, vol. IY (R. & 
T. Washbourne, London, 1908) ; The Catholic Ency¬ 
clopedia, passim ; Dr. A. Weber: Ausgeflihrte Kate- 
chesen liber das dritte Hauptstuck fur das 5. Schul- 
jahr (Jos. Kosel’sche Buchhandlung, Kempten & Mu¬ 
nich, 1904) ; C. Muff, O. S. B.: Katechesen fur die vier 
obern Klassen der Primarschule (Benziger Bros., N. 
Y., 1910) ; Dr. J. Schmitt: Erklarungen des mittleren 
Deharbschen Katechismus (10’ ed. B. Herder Book Co., 
St. Louis, Mo.) ; Dr. R. Baumeister: Katechesen liber 
den mittleren Katechismus (B. Herder Book Co., St. 
Louis, Mo., 1904) ; P. Jos. Deharbes grossere Kate- 


vii 


chismuserklarung, neubearbeitet von Jacob Linden, S. 
J. (Ferdinand Schoningh, Paderborn, 1912) ; L. Meh- 
ler: Beispiele (10'ed. G. Manz, Ratisbon) ; Kateche- 
tische Blatter, passim. 

The catechist will find the following publications of 
catechetical pictures in colors very helpful: Ph. Schu¬ 
macher: Religiose Wandbilder; Swoboda: Liturgische 
Wandtafeln; Grand Catechisme En Images, Maison de 
la Bonne Presse, Paris. 


For the honor of the greatest Catechist—Jesus 
Christ! 


THE AUTHOR. 


Feast of the Most Precious Blood, 1921. 
Rochester, N. Y. 



CONTENTS 


LESSON PAGE 

Preface. v-vii 

I. BAPTISM 

I. Baptism-Regeneration . 1 

II. Baptismal Act—Baptismal Graces. 9 

III. Private Baptism . 19 

IV. Baptismal Vows—Baptismal Sponsors.... 26 

V. Solemn Baptism. 33 

VI. Renewal of Baptismal Vows (Supplement¬ 

ary . 41 

II. CONFIRMATION 

Introduction . 51 

VII. The Holy Ghost in the Soul. 52 

VIII. Confirmation—A Sacrament. 60 

IX. The Rite of Confirmation. 67 

X. The Graces of Confirmation. 74 

XI. The Gifts of the Holy Ghost. 82 

XII. Reception of Holy Confirmation. 92 

XIII. The Fruits of the Holy Ghost. 98 

XIV. Forget-me-nots for Confirmation.107 

HI. PENANCE 

XV. Penance—A Gift of God.Ill 

XVI. The Duty of Confession (Supplementary) 120 

XVII. The Graces of Confession (Supplementary) 126 

XVIII. Requisites for a Worthy Reception of Pen¬ 
ance . 135 

XIX. Examination of Conscience.143 

XX. Detailed Examination of Conscience.149 

XXI. Daily Examination of Conscience.170 

XXII. True Contrition of Heart.176 

XXIII. The Christian’s Contrition.183 

XXIV. Imperfect Contrition (Supplementary)-190 

XXV. Perfect Contrition (Supplementary).196 

XXVI. Contrition—When? (Supplementary). ...201 

XXVII. Purpose of Amendment.208 

























LESSON 

XXVIII. Proximate Occasions of Sin.214 

XXIX. Means of Amendment—Satisfaction (Sup¬ 

plementary) .220 

XXX. Confess all. 226 

XXXI. Confess Humbly and Sincerely.233 

XXXII. The Rite of Confession.241 

XXXIII. Satisfaction of Penance.248 

XXXIV. Voluntary Satisfaction.255 

XXXV. Indulgences .262 

XXXVI. Gaining an Indulgence.271 

IV. HOLY EUCHARIST 

XXXVH. The True Bread from Heaven (Supple¬ 
mentary) . 277 

XXXVIII. The Institution of the Holy Eucharist... .282 

XXXIX. Transubstantiation .,.289 

XL. The Power of Consecration.296 

XLI. The Real Presence.302 

XLII. Adoration of the Holy Eucharist (Supple¬ 
mentary) .308 

XLIII. Graces of Holy Communion .314 

XLIV. Unworthy Communion.323 

XLV. Preparation for Holy Communion.330 

XLVI. The Rite of Holy Communion.336 

XLVII. Admonition after Holy Communion.343 

V. EXTREME UNCTION 

XLVIII. Extreme Unction—A Sacrament .452 

XLIX. The Grace of Extreme Unction.359 

L. The Reception of Extreme Unction.366 

VI. HOLY ORDERS 

LI. Holy Orders...374 

VII. MATRIMONY 

LH (1) Matrimony .. 387 

LHI. (II) Matrimony. 398 

LTV. The Seven Sacraments (Review Lesson). .406 

Vm. SACRAMENTALS 

LV. (I) Sacramentals (The Sign of the Cross) 416 

LVI. (H) Sacramentals (Holy Water, etc.)....425 



























I. 

BAPTISM 



X 


LESSON I. 

Baptism—Regeneration 
Catechetical Unit: 

1) What is Baptism ? (Deharbe) 

2) What is Baptism of water ? L. XIV, Q. 158. 

3) Why is Baptism the first Sacrament ? (Deharbe) 

4) Is Baptism necessary to salvation ? L. XIV, Q. 
154. 

5) When did Christ give the commandment to bap¬ 
tize? (Deharbe) 

(N. B.—The supplementary questions and answers in this 
and the following lessons are taken from “A Full Catechism 
of the Catholic Religion” of Rev. Jos. Deharbe, S. J., revised, 
enlarged and edited by the Rt. Rev. P. N. Lynch, D. D., 
Schwartz, Kirwin & Fauss, New York) 

Preparation. Dear children, you all are Christians. 
But you were not always Christians; once you were 
heathens. You all are children of the Church. But 
you were not always children of the Church; once you 
were outside of the Church. You all are children of 
God; once you were children of the devil. You are 
heirs of Heaven. But you were not always heirs of 
Heaven; once Hell was open for you. Since when are 
you Christians and children of the Church, children of 
God and heirs of Heaven? In Holy Baptism you re¬ 
ceived this happiness and this great grace. On that 
occasion you obtained a precious heavenly gift—sanc¬ 
tifying grace. 

You already know: What is sanctifying grace? Why 
is sanctifying grace called a “gratuitous or free” gift? 


3 


4 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

When does the sinner receive sanctifying grace ? How 
long does sanctifying grace remain in the soul? To¬ 
day and in the following lessons we are going to learn 
about Holy Baptism. 

Aim. First I shall show you: How necessary Bap¬ 
tism is for Heaven. Jesus Himself showed us that 
very clearly. You know the story of Nicodemus. 

Presentation. Once Jesus came to Jerusalem for 
the feast of the Pasch. He taught in the temple and 
confirmed His teaching by miracles. Hence many be¬ 
lieved in His divine words. 

Among these was also Nicodemus, a distinguished 
counsellor of the Jews. But Nicodemus was a timid 
man. For fear of the Jews he did not venture to speak 
to Jesus openly and in the day time. Therefore he 
came to Christ secretly at night, in order to be con¬ 
verted. He spoke as follows: “Rabbi (that is, Mas¬ 
ter), we know that Thou art come a teacher from 
God; for no man can do these signs which Thou dost, 
unless God be with him.” Jesus replied: “Amen, amen, 
I say to thee, unless a man be born again, he cannot 
see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus did not under¬ 
stand Him and asked: “But Master, how can a man 
be born, when he is old?” Jesus explained to him 
more clearly what He meant, saying: “Amen, amen, 
I say to thee, unless a man be bora again of water 
and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom 
of God.” 

Nicodemus asked in astonishment: “How can these 
things be done?” Jesus answered and said to him: 
“Art thou a master in Israel and knowest not these 
things ?” Then He pointed to His death on the cross, 
and said: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the des¬ 
ert, so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whoso¬ 
ever believeth in Him, may not perish, but may have 
life everlasting. For God so loved the world, as to give 
His only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in 


BAPTISM-REGENERATION 5 

Him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting. 
For God sent not His Son into the world to judge the 
world, but that the world may be saved by Him.” (John 
iii). ( Show the pupils a large picture of this scene.) 

Explanation. 1. Nicodemus came secretly to the 
Divine Master. What purpose led him to Jesus ? It 
did not happen out of curiosity, but rather from a de¬ 
sire for salvation; he wanted to find the way to Heaven. 
Jesus taught him, saying: “Amen, amen, I say to thee, 
unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom 
of Heaven.” But Nicodemus misunderstood that en¬ 
tirely; he was thinking of a bodily birth. Therefore 
he asked in wonder: “How can a man be bom, when he 
is old?” Of course, that is impossible. You all know 
what the Saviour was speaking about. Jesus meant 
a spiritual birth of water and the Holy Ghost. This 
second birth, or rebirth (regeneration), takes place in 
Baptism. At his bodily birth man receives natural 
life, at his spiritual rebirth he receives supernatural 
life, or the life of sanctifying grace. At his bodily 
birth man is bom for this earthly life, at his spiritual 
rebirth he is bom for eternal life. At his earthly birth 
man becomes a child of man, at his rebirth he is made 
a child of God. Remember, then: Baptism is a Sac¬ 
rament in which man is horn again by water and the 
Holy Ghost to life everlasting. (Repeat together; use 
the blackboard; see the diagram below just above the 
synthesis). For short you can say: Baptism is the 
Sacrament of rebirth (regeneration). 

2. This Sacrament of rebirth to eternal life is giv¬ 
en by pouring water on the head of the person to be 
baptized, and saying at the same time: I baptize thee 
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
Holy Ghost. Therefore, we call this Sacrament the 
Baptism of water. Our Catechism says: Baptism of 
water is that which is given by pouring water on the 
head of the person to be baptized, and saying at the 
same time: I baptize thee in the name of the Father, 


6 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard) . The day of your Bap¬ 
tism, therefore, is the day of your rebirth (regenera¬ 
tion) for the kingdom of God and Heaven. 

3. Now, let us look at the words of the Lord a lit¬ 
tle more closely. Twice Jesus said: “Unless a man be 
born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” 
When Jesus speaks of the kingdom of Heaven, He 
means the kingdom of God on earth—the Church. 
Therefore, the Saviour means to say: If you wish 
to enter into My Church, you must first be reborn in 
Holy Baptism. The person who is baptized becomes 
a child of the Church; he belongs to the great and holy 
family of Christians. Whoever is not a child of the 
Church, will not receive any of the graces of the 
Church, especially of the Holy Sacraments. Here it 
is just like in a school. You all are children of our 
school. Therefore you may also take part in the 
instructions. A strange child, that does not belong to 
our school, may not come here and may not learn with 
you. First Baptism, and then a person may also val¬ 
idly receive the other Sacraments. Before Baptism 
every other Sacrament—for instance, Penance—would 
be without effect. Baptism is the first Sacrament , be¬ 
cause before Baptism no other Sacrament can be val¬ 
idly received . (Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

4. “Unless a man be born again of water and the 
Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of 
God.” In these words is contained a second import¬ 
ant truth. The Saviour means not only His kingdom 
on earth—the Church—but most of all the real king¬ 
dom of Heaven. Therefore Christ says very definite¬ 
ly: without Baptism there is no kingdom of Heaven ! 
The Sacrament of the altar is indeed greater and 
holier than Baptism, because Jesus Himself is present 
in that Sacrament; but it is not as necessary as Bap¬ 
tism. Many have already entered into Heaven with¬ 
out Holy Communion; but no one enters into Heaven 
without Baptism. Baptism is necessary to salvation, 


BAPTISM—REGENERATION 7 

because without it we cannot enter into the kingdom 
of Heaven. ( Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 
St. Peter teaches the same truth. On Pentecost he 
preached his first sermon in such an impressive manner 
that the hearts of all were deeply moved. Then the 
Jews asked: “What shall we do, men and brethren ?” 
Peter replied: “Do penance and be baptized, every one 
of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of 
your sins” (Acts of Ap. ii). Do you hear? Baptism 
is the first necessary thing. Without a ship one can¬ 
not ride over the ocean; and without Baptism one can¬ 
not enter into Heaven. Therefore a holy teacher of 
the Church (St. Basil) once said: “Baptism is the 
ship to Heaven.” 

5. Now, surely you would also like to know: When 
did Christ institute Baptism? We do not know that 
with full certainty. Most men think that Jesus insti¬ 
tuted Baptism at His own Baptism in the Jordan river. 
That is very probable. At any rate, it had already 
been instituted, when the Saviour instructed Nicode- 
mus about rebirth (regeneration). But this much 
we do know with certainty, namely, that Baptism is 
from Christ Himself. For, before Jesus went home 
to His Father in Heaven, He gave to His Apostles His 
last solemn command: “All power is given to Me in 
Heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all 
nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and 
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matt, xxviii, 18s). 
These are important words and all of you ought to 
impress them deeply on your memories. Christ gave 
the commandment to baptize before His Ascension , 
when He said to his Apostles : Going therefore , teach ye 
all nations; baptizing them in the mime of the Father , 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard). 

Write on the blackboard : 

1. Baptism—Sacrament of rebirth (regeneration) 
—Baptism of water (2). 


8 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


3. Before Baptism—no other Sacrament. 

4. Without Baptism—no kingdom of Heaven. 

5. Baptism—from Christ—“Going, therefore.” 

Synthesis. Christ has given us seven Sacraments. 
The first and most necessary Sacrament is Baptism. 
Christ Himself teaches us that; in what words ? What 
does Peter demand in his sermon on Pentecost? Why 
is Baptism the first Sacrament? Why is it the most 
necessary Sacrament? What is Baptism? Why is 
it called the Sacrament of rebirth or regeneration? 
What is Baptism of water? When did Christ give the 
commandment to baptize? (Have the pupils read the 
answers from the Catechism and blackboard. Assign 
the lesson for the next class ). 

Application. 1. Baptism is the Sacrament of re¬ 
birth or regeneration. Many Christians celebrate 
their birthday. However, we have no reason for do¬ 
ing that. Our birthday is rather a day of mourning. 
Why? Were we not all poor heathen children? And 
we ought to rejoice over that? But we ought to cele¬ 
brate the day of our Baptism with joy; indeed, we have 
every reason for doing that. Why? We were born 
again as children of God for Heaven. 

2. Baptism is the first Sacrament. A Jewish boy 
sees Christian children going to Holy Confession. He, 
too, Would like to get rid of his sins, and so he goes to 
Confession. The priest gives absolution. What do 
you say to that ?—A heathen child slips in among 
Christian children who are about to be confirmed and 
allows itself to be confirmed by the Bishop. Later on 
that child becomes a Christian and is baptized. May 
it receive Holy Confirmation again ?—A little Christ¬ 
ian girl, five years of age, saw people going to Holy 
Communion. She thought that she, too, might go for¬ 
ward and, really, she received Holy Communion. What 
do you think of that? 

3. Baptism is the most necessary Sacrament. But 
then what happens to the poor heathen children? Do 


BAPTISMAL ACT AND GPvACES 9 

they go to Heaven? “Nothing defiled can enter into 
the kingdom of Heaven.” But surely, these children 
are not to blame for having original sin. That is in¬ 
deed true. But God does not owe Heaven to us; that 
is also true. Moreover, such children will not be pun¬ 
ished either; they will not go to Hell; neither will they 
go to Purgatory. There is a special place for them 
where they do not have to suffer anything and yet 
have much joy. They are perfectly happy, possibly 
like our first parents in Paradise. Of course, they may 
not and cannot see God face to face. But that does 
not pain them for they do not know how beautiful it 
is in Heaven. 

4. If Baptism is so necessary, is it permissible to 
wait long before administering Baptism? It is a mat¬ 
ter of conscience to have children baptized as soon as 
possible. How easily might not the poor child die. 
Then the mother would have to reproach herself: I 
am to blame that my child cannot enter into Heaven. 
That would be a grievous sin. 

5. But what happens to adults who die without 
Baptism? Are they all lost? That depends: Whoever 
is without guilt can be saved; but whoever is himself 
to blame, will be lost. There are still about a billion 
people without Baptism. Pray for these poor crea¬ 
tures that the light of God's grace may shine upon 
them and lead them to Holy Baptism, so that some 
day eternal light may shine upon them. 


LESSON II. 

Baptismal Act—Baptismal Graces 
Catechetical Unit: 

1) How is Baptism given ? L. XIV, Q. 156. 

2) Are actual sins ever remitted by Baptism ? L. 
XIV, Q. 153. 

3) What is Baptism ? L. XIV, Q. 152. 


10 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


4) Why can we not receive Baptism more than 
once? L. XIII, Q. 149. 

5) What is the character which Baptism imprints 
in the soul? L. XIII, Q. 150. 

6) Does this character remain in the soul even after 
death? L. XIII, Q. 151. 

Preparation. Dear children, a holy doctor of the 
Church (Gregory Nazianzenus) says: “Christ allowed 
Himself to be baptized in the Jordan, in order to sanc¬ 
tify the water and to give it the power of sanctifying.” 
Clearly, he means to point to the institution of Bap¬ 
tism. Let us review what we already know about it. 
(Question the pupils briefly on the preceding lesson.) 

Formerly there were two great days of Baptism: 
Holy Saturday and Pentecost Saturday. Now it is 
still customary on these two days to solemnly con¬ 
secrate the baptismal water. During the consecration 
the priest submerges the Easter candle, the symbol 
of the risen Saviour, three time in turn into the water 
and prays and sings: “May the power of the Holy 
Ghost descend into this fountain of water.” Then 
this baptismal water is preserved throughout the en¬ 
tire year in the baptismal font, and the priest uses it 
at solemn Baptism. Let us learn about that today. 

Aim. W’e wish to answer two questions about Bap¬ 
tism: 1) How is Baptism given? 2) What are the ef¬ 
fects of Baptism? What happens exteriorly on the 
body at Baptism? What takes place interiorly in the 
soul? 

Who of you has already seen Baptism administered? 
What did you remember of that ?—Now I am going to 
tell you the chief thing that occurs at Baptism. The 
beautiful and significant ceremonies of Holy Baptism 
I am going to describe and explain for you later on 
in a special instruction. 

Presentation. When Christian parents receive a 
child from God, they bring it as quickly as possible 


BAPTISMAL ACT AND GRACES 


11 


to the church for Holy Baptism. The priest receives 
the child to be baptized at the church door and leads 
it to the baptismal font. At the same time he says: 
“Enter into the temple of God, that thou mayest share 
with Christ unto eternal life”! The wicked enemy 
still has power over the child. Therefore the child to 
be baptized must solemnly renounce the devil. The 
priest asks: “Joseph or Mary, dost thou renounce 
Satan? and all his works? and all his pomps?” Each 
time the sponsor answers for the child: “I do re¬ 
nounce.” The child is to belong to Christ. Conse¬ 
quently it must also profess its Faith in Christ. Then 
the priest asks: “Joseph, wilt thou be baptized?”— 
“I will”. Now the moment of Baptism is come. 

The priest takes the little vessel with baptismal 
water and pours the water three times in the form of a 
cross over the head of the person to be baptized and 
says at the same time: “Joseph, I baptize thee in the 
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Ghost”. At this moment something happens similar 
to what took place at the Baptism of Jesus. The 
heavens open and the Holy Ghost descends—of course 
not visibly, but rather invisibly—and purifies the soul 
of the child and sanctifies the soul. But the heavenly 
Father says to His angels: “Behold, that is now My 
beloved child in whom I am well pleased”! Then 
there is great joy in Heaven.—What has taken 
place interiorly in the soul, is now also expressed 
exteriorly: the priest lays a white garment upon 
the child and says at the same time these beautiful 
words: “Receive this white garment, which mayest 
thou bring unspotted before the judgment-seat of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, that thou mayest have life ever¬ 
lasting”! Then he dismisses the child that has been 
baptized with the salutation: “Joseph, go in peace 
and may the Lord be with thee”. But father and 
mother now love that child much more, for it is a 
child of God. (Show the pupils a large picture of 
Baptism ). 


12 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Explanation. 1. When the priest baptizes, he 
uses a special kind of water —baptismal water. The 
Church has prescribed that. But in case of necessity 
one would be permitted to use simple Holy-Water, yes, 
even natural water. Ever since the Baptism of Jesus 
in the Jordan river, all natural water has received 
the power and consecration for Holy Baptism. Just a 
short while ago we heard that from a holy doctor of 
the Church: “Christ allowed Himself to be baptized, 
to consecrate the water”.—While Peter was in prison 
at Rome, the jailer was converted. Suddenly a won¬ 
derful fountain gushed forth from the ground. The 
Apostle took some of that water and baptized the new 
convert. That was ordinary, natural water, and still 
it was proper as baptismal water. 

Now how must one pour the baptismal water ?—It 
must be poured three times, and that in the form of a 
cross. A single pouring of water would indeed be 
sufficient; but the Church demands a threefold pouring 
when the priest baptizes. The water ought to be 
poured over the head in such a manner, that not only 
the hair, but the skin is moistened, or washed; other¬ 
wise the Baptism is invalid. In the old days it was 
generally the custom to administer Baptism in a dif¬ 
ferent manner. In those days there was a special 
chapel (baptistery) in the church for Baptism. In it 
there was a large basin, or tank. The person to be 
baptized had to descend into this basin, and he was im¬ 
mersed (dipped) three times beneath the water, while 
the priest recited the words of Baptism. 

2. What words must the person speak, who admin¬ 
isters Baptism? First comes the name of the person 
to be baptized: “Joseph, or Mary”. “I baptize thee 
in the name of the Father”—at the same time the 
water is poured over the head for the first time—“and 
of the Son”—at the same time the water is poured 
for the second time—“and of the Holy Ghost”—at 
the same time the water is poured for the third time. 
The words of Baptism must be spoken precisely in this 


BAPTISMAL ACT AND GRACES 


13 


way. For what Christ has ordered, man may not 
change. Therefore, how is Baptism given?— Whoever 
baptizes should pour water on the head of the person 
to be baptized, and say, while pouring the water: “I 
baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the 
Son, and of the Holy Ghost”. ( Repeat together; use 
the blackboard; see the diagram below just above the 
synthesis.) 

The pouring of the water and the saying of the 
words of Baptism are things, which can be seen and 
heard. They are the outward signs of Baptism. 
Every Sacrament must have outward signs. 

3. Now you know what takes place outwardly at 
Baptism. But what takes place inwardly in the soul 
is truly wonderful. Let us see. 

a) Before Baptism the child had a hateful stain 
on its soul—original sin. That makes the child detest¬ 
able in God's eyes. Therefore it is not fit to be in 
Heaven. But the priest pours .the baptismal water 
over its head. At that moment the Holy Ghost comes 
down upon the one baptized and cleanses the soul from 
original sin. A Saint once said: “When the baptis¬ 
mal water flows over the head, the Blood of Christ 
flows over the soul.” Those are beautiful words in¬ 
deed. He means: In the Blood of Christ the soul is 
made pure from all sin. Take special notice of that: 
from all sin! St. Augustine for over thirty years was 
a heathen and an impure man and a wicked son of his 
mother. Then he had himself baptised by the holy 
Bishop Ambrose. What effects did that Baptism 
have?—His soul was purified from original sin and 
from all actual sins.— In Baptism original sin is for¬ 
given, and all actual sins, if the person baptized be 
guilty of any. ( Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 

b) Now I am curious: Did Augustine have to con¬ 
fess again the sins, which he had committed before 
Baptism? No! Did he perhaps receive a penance to 
perform for his sins? No! If Augustine had died 
immediately after Baptism, would he have been obliged 


14 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


to go to Purgatory? No! And why not?—Because 
in Baptism are remitted not only all sins, but the tem¬ 
poral and eternal punishments due to sins are also re¬ 
mitted. (Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 
Where there is no temporal punishment anymore, 
there neither is there any need for further penance, nor 
for Purgatory either. You see, then, that Baptism 
works even more powerfully than Penance; Baptism 
reaches to the very bottom of the soul and blots out 
everything sinful. 

c) Let us consider another wonderful effect of 
Holy Baptism! After the Last Supper the Saviour 
went with His disciples to the Garden of Olives. On 
the way they passed a vineyard. The Saviour pointed 
to the vineyard and said to His disciples: “I am the 
vine: you are the branches. He that remaineth in 
Me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for 
without Me you can do nothing” (John xv, 5s.). 
Thus Jesus compares Himself to a vine and His dis¬ 
ciples to the branches of a vine. But He does not wish 
to call His Apostles only the branches of a vine. You 
too, all baptized persons, are branches of the vine. 
The Saviour means: Whoever receives Holy Baptism 
becomes united to Jesus most closely, even as the 
branches are united to the vine. How wonderful!— 
Moreover, the branches get their life-giving sap from 
the vine. The sap of the vine flows through the 
branches just as the blood flows through the veins. So 
also whoever receives Holy Baptism shares in the life 
of the vine, which is Jesus Himself. Not indeed in 
His natural life, for we have that ourselves, but rather 
in His supernatural life. Christ is more than man, 
He is God; and God has a supernatural life. He per¬ 
mits us to share in His supernatural life. He does not, 
of course, make us God Himself. For He alone is God, 
but Pie can and does allow us to share in His divine 
life. Yes, all that receive Holy Baptism are allowed 
to have a share in Jesus’ supernatural life, which is 
sanctifying grace. And as long as we have sanctify- 


BAPTISMAL ACT AND GRACES 


15 


ing grace, we share in the supernatural, divine nature 
of Christ; but just as soon as we lose sanctifying grace 
by mortal sin, we are like the branches, which are cut 
off from the vine and wither up and die. How wonder¬ 
ful! A baptized person becomes most closely united 
with Christ, is made one with Him, another Christ, a 
Christian. Our Catechism says: Baptism makes us 
Christians. (Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

(St. Paul teaches us the same truth in different 
words. Let us see what he says. This great Apostle 
compares all Christians to a body, whose Head is Christ 
Himself. When you came into this world, you were not 
united with this great body; you were not members 
of this great family of Christ, the Church. But just 
as soon as the baptismal water washed your soul from 
sin and gave you sanctifying grace, Christ united you 
most closely to this body, this great family of Christ¬ 
ians of which He is the Head. He joined you as mem¬ 
bers to His Church. He incorporated you into His 
family of children. His supernatural life began to 
flow through you, even as blood flows through the mem¬ 
bers of a body. You were made one with Christ, liv¬ 
ing members of His body, the Church. Henceforth 
you had a right to share in all the good things of that 
family. You were made Christ's possession, Christ¬ 
ians. How wonderful is not Baptism ! It unites us 
most intimately with Christ, interiorly by sanctifying 
grace and exteriorly by making us members of His 
body, the Church. That is what we mean, when we 
say: Baptism makes us Christians.) 

d) But there is another effect of Holy Baptism. 
This Sacrament is like a wonderful bath. When a 
person has been washed in the holy water of Baptism, 
he comes forth as a new born creature, regenerated, 
changed interiorly, made holy, sanctified through the 
supernatural life of grace. That new, heavenly life 
makes the soul appear beautiful, yes, so wondrously 
lovely, that God and His holy Angels look with joy up¬ 
on that soul. Then that soul is no longer merely a 


16 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


child of man, but it has become a child of God, and 
also an heir of Heaven. Our Catechism says: Bap¬ 
tism makes us children of God, and heirs of Heaven^ 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard). 

Let us now repeat all these wonderful effects to¬ 
gether: Baptism is a Sacrament, vjhich cleanses us 
from original sin, from actual sins and the punish ~j 
ments due them, makes us Christians , children of God , 
and heirs of Heaven. 

4. There is another effect of Holy Baptism. In the 
early days certain masters owned slaves, who were 
held to belong to their masters body and soul. As a 
sign that these slaves were the property of their mas¬ 
ters the name of their masters was burned into the 
skin of these slaves indelibly, that is, so that the name 
could not be erased again. This was a sign to every¬ 
one, that such a slave belonged to such and such a 
master. Now in Baptism the Holy Ghost impresses a 
mark, a “character,” on your soul. It is the seal, as 
it were, which Christ, the Lord, has impressed upon 
the lambs and sheep of His flock. This mark is 
“spiritual,” because it is impressed on the soul, which 
is a spirit. This mark is “indelible”, because it can 
never be effaced by anyone or anything. That is the 
reason why we can receive Baptism only once. Our 
Catechism says: We cannot receive Baptism more 
than once, because it imprints a character in the soul* 
{Repeat together; use the blackboard) . 5. The char¬ 

acter, which this Sacrament imprints in the soul, is a 
spiritual mark, which remains forever. ( Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard ). 

6. This character indicates, that a person is bap¬ 
tized and is a Christian and belongs to Christ; that 
such a person is Christ's servant, body and soul for all 
eternity. It is God's own handwriting in the soul. And 
what does that handwriting say ? It says: “I have 
called thee by thy name: thou art Mine” (Isaias xliii, 
1). This character will shine in the glory of Heaven, 
if the baptized person has served God as a good Cath- 


BAPTISMAL ACT AND GRACES 17 

olic in life, faithful to the end! It will burn and tor¬ 
ture the baptized Christian like a disgraceful stain in 
Hell, if that person has denied the Faith by a life of 
sin!—This character remains in the soul even after 
death: for the honor and glory of those who are saved; 
for the shame and punishment of those who are lost. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard). 

(But how does this character benefit us as long as 
we live? We cannot indeed see it, for we do not see 
spiritual things; but the great God, the Angels and 
Saints, who are spirits, see it. And when they look 
upon it, they read: “He is one of us! See, he needs 
our help; the enemies are attacking him, tempting him 
to sin. Yes, we must help him”! And they do help 
him just as one soldier helps another on the battle 
front, if he sees by his uniform that he is a comrade. 
Do you understand now, dear children, what won¬ 
derful effects Baptism produces in the soul?) 

Write on the blackboard : 

1. How is Baptism given?—Baptismal water—Bap¬ 
tismal words (outward sign). 

2. The one baptized is 

a) cleansed from all sin (original, actual) (3) ; 

b) freed from all punishments due his sins (tem¬ 
poral, eternal) ; 

c) made a child of God, an heir to Heaven; 

d) impressed with indelible character on soul (5) ; 
hence Baptism may be given only once (4) ; 
character remains forever (6). 

Synthesis. We have answered two important ques¬ 
tions today. How is Baptism given? What are the 
effects of Baptism?—Why do we say, that in Baptism 
man is cleansed from all sin?—Is the punishment that 
is due to sin also remitted in Baptism ?—Why do we 
say, that man is “born again to eternal life”?—How is 
this rebirth (regeneration) caused?—What sign does 
Baptism impress on the soul?—Is this sign visible?— 


18 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

Indelible?—Why can Baptism be received only once? 
—Does this character remain in the soul even after 
death?—Why?—( Have the pupils read the answers 
from the Catechism. Assign the lesson for the next 
class ). 

Application. 1. Baptism is valid only when it is 
rightly conferred. Now I am going to see whether 
you have understood everything correctly. A person 
pours water three times over the head of the one to 
be baptized and says at the same time: “In the name 
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”. 
Is that Baptism valid ?—Another person makes the sign 
of the cross over the child and says: “I baptize thee 
in the name . . .”. Many Protestants baptize like 
this: “I baptize thee in the name of the Holy Trin¬ 
ity”; or “I baptize thee in the name of Jesus”. Judge 
for yourselves!—A Protestant pastor speaks the words 
of Baptism and his janitor pours the water.—Another 
sprinkles a little water on the child and speaks the 
words of Baptism at the same time .... 

2. The person baptized is made clean from all sin 
and is freed from all punishments due his sins. If a 
person that has just been baptized, whether he be big 
or little, dies, the priest does not wear the black stole, 
but rather the white one. Neither does he pray: “O 
Lord, grant unto him eternal rest!” No service for 
the repose of his soul is held. Do you know why?— 
He is already gone into eternal rest; he does not go 
to Purgatory even for a moment. Consequently he 
does not need our prayers any more.—In former 
times many a one was not baptized until he lay upon 
his death-bed. Was this a wise thing?—Such persons, 
indeed, entered immediately into Heaven, but they 
had no merits for Heaven. 

3. A baptized person becomes a child of God and the 
Church. You know, that many Protestants also have 
their children baptized. Therefore they all belong to 
our Church. Christ has instituted only one Baptism. 


PRIVATE BAPTISM 


19 


Whoever receives it, becomes a child of His Church. 
Baptism makes one a Catholic; therefore every bap¬ 
tized Protestant was once a Catholic. If a Protestant is 
converted to the Catholic religion, we say: “He is re¬ 
turning to the true Church” ! Perfectly correct ! For 
only later on did he reject the Catholic Church. 

4. In Holy Baptism you became children of God 
and heirs of Heaven. That is a high dignity and a 
great grace. To you too did the priest say the serious 
words of counsel: “Receive this white garment and 
bring it back unspotted before the judgment-seat of 
Jesus Christ!” Have you hitherto preserved it ? Poor 
child, if you have soiled it with serious sin! Happy 
child, if you still have it in your heart! Guard it as a 
most precious treasure. 

5. One of the ancient Roman Emperors had a pet 
stag, which used to come and feed out of his hand, 
and lived in the gardens of the palace. No one 
dared to touch it, because everyone knew that it be¬ 
longed to the Emperor. But being afraid that hunts¬ 
men, who did not know it, might perchance kill it, the 
Emperor made a collar of gold and put it around the 
stag's neck. On the collar were inscribed these words: 
“I belong to the Emperor. Do not touch me”! When 
people read these words they let the stag alone. My 
child, God has written these words in your very soul: 
“I belong to God. Do not touch me” ! So when tempta¬ 
tion comes near you, think of this, and tell Satan to de¬ 
part, for you are not his, but God's. 


LESSON III. 

Private Baptism. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) Who can administer Baptism? L. XIV, Q. 155. 

2) What is Baptism of blood? L. XIV, Q. 160. 

3) What is Baptism of desire? L. XIV, Q. 159. 


20 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


4) Is Baptism of desire or of blood sufficient to 
produce the effects of Baptism of water? L. XIV, Q. 
161. 

5) How many kinds of Baptism are there? L. 
XIV, Q. 157. 

Preparation. Dear children, King Louis, the Pious, 
of France, often said: “The castle chapel, where I 
was baptized, is more to me than the cathedral of 
Rheims, where I was crowned king. For in Baptism 
I became a child of God, and that is a higher dignity 
than the kingly dignity”. That is so. You already 
know the graces of Baptism. Many things are taken 
away from the baptized person, but many more things 
are given him; something detestable is taken from his 
soul, but something wonderfully beautiful is given to 
his soul. Let us review this briefly. (Question the 
pupils on the foregoing lesson.) 

When the priest administers Holy Baptism he con¬ 
fers solemn Baptism. But sometimes it is impossible 
to bring a child to church because it is in the danger 
of death. Such a child then receives private Bap¬ 
tism. In heathen countries (missionary lands) it hap¬ 
pens also frequently, that there is no priest at hand. 
Who then is to baptize? 

Aim. We are going to leam of that today: Who 

can validly baptize in case of necessity ? 

Presentation. In a Catholic mission-house there 
were two sisters, both of them still heathen children. 
They were already well instructed in the Christian 
Faith. Radiant with joy they were waiting for the 
coming morning, for it was to be their baptismal day. 
However, this joy was changed into bitter sorrow. 
While they were lying in a deep sleep, suddenly they 
were awakened by a deafening noise. What is the 
matter? Half savage heathens had fallen upon the 
mission-house. They plundered and burned every¬ 
thing. The missionaries were murdered or led away 


PRIVATE BAPTISM 21 

in chains. Our two poor heathen children were also 
thrown into prison. They knew very well what was 
in store for them, and prepared themselves for death. 

The smaller of the two was all disconsolate and said 
weeping: “I have been looking forward with joy and 
longing to Holy Baptism! Tomorrow we would have 
become Christians and children of God and now we 
must die as heathen children.” The older girl com¬ 
forted her little sister: “Dear little sister, do not be 
so sad! Do you no longer know what we have heard 
in the instructions? Why, we may die for Jesus; then 
we shall come to Jesus in Heaven”. Thereupon the 
child noticed a jug of water. Trembling with joy she 
exclaimed: “See little sister! there is water. Let us 
pray together and then I will baptize you”. 

At once both of them knelt down and began to pray: 
“Dear Father in Heaven, look down upon Thy poor 
children! We believe all that the Church teaches. 
We renounce the devil and all sin. We will live and 
die like Christians. Grant us the grace of Holy Bap¬ 
tism and let us come to Thee in Heaven.” Then the 
bigger sister arose and asked her little sister: “Wilt 
thou be baptized ?” Earnestly and firmly the little one 
answered: “I will be baptized”. Then her sister 
poured the water over the head of the child and spoke 
the words of Holy Baptism: “Mary, I baptize thee in 
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
Holy Ghost”! Thereupon the older sister knelt down 
and received Holy Baptism from the younger sister. 
Fervently both of them gave thanks: “Thanks be to 
Thee, 0 God, a thousand thanks! Now we will gladly 
die.” In the morning they died as martyrs. The day 
of their Baptism was for them the day of their death 
and also their birthday for Heaven. 

Explanation. 1. Now tell me: Did the chil¬ 
dren do their work in the right way? Could they 
and might they baptize each other?—Both of them 
were, of course, as yet heathen children; and yet the 


22 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

Baptism was valid. For not only the priest, but any 
one who has the use of reason may baptize validly. 
Ordinarily only the priest may baptize, but in case of 
necessity, in extraordinary cases, others may also bap¬ 
tize. Our Catechism says: The priest is the ordinary 
minister of Baptism; but in case of necessity any on* 
who has the use of reason may baptize. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard; see the diagram below 
just above the synthesis) . It is all the same, whether 
the one baptizing be a heathen or a Jew, a Catholic or 
a Protestant, a man or a woman or a child. Only two 
things are absolutely necessary: The one baptizing 
must have the intention of conferring Christian Bap¬ 
tism, and he must, while baptizing, do all things cor¬ 
rectly. So it was in the case of these two children: 
they had the right intention and they did everything 
correctly. How did they baptize?—The Baptism, 
which anyone can administer, is called private Bap¬ 
tism. 

But perhaps you are surprised, that everyone can 
baptize. The reason for that you yourselves can read¬ 
ily discover.—Without Baptism no one can be saved 
“But God wills that all men should be saved”, says St 
Paul. No man is to be lost except by his own fault. 
Therefore Christ made the reception of Baptism so 
easy. We cannot thank the kind and merciful and 
wise God enough for that. 

2. Every man can baptize validly; but not everyone 
may baptize. If there is no necessity, the child is to be 
brought to the church, so that the priest may solemnly 
baptize it. Why? That you will easily understand 
—The priests are specially appointed for that work. 
For to the Apostles did Christ say: “Going there¬ 
fore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them”. That is 
the first reason. Then too the priest can baptize best 
of all; that is the second reason.—But neither may the 
priest baptize wherever and whenever he wills. In 
the Church there must be beautiful order. Conse¬ 
quently the Bishop sends into every parish one or more 


PRIVATE BAPTISM 23 

priests as shepherds of his flock. These priests have 
also the right and duty to administer Baptism.—Re¬ 
member that: Any person can validly baptize; but , 
except in cases of necessity , only priests , who have the 
care of souls, are allowed to baptize . (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard ). 

3. Let us look again at the two children. The 
smaller one complained and wept, saying: “We must 
die as heathen children”. But the bigger one calmed 
her little sister with the words: “We may die for 
Jesus; then we shall go to Jesus in Heaven”. Is that 
true?—Yes, Jesus Himself has said it: “He that shall 
lose his life for Me, shall find it” (Matt, x, 39). The 
Saviour means: Whoever gives up his life for My 
sake, will receive the reward of Heaven for it. But 
whoever dies a martyr's death for love of Christ, is 
baptized in his own blood. This Baptism is called 
the Baptism of blood.—Baptism of blood is the shed¬ 
ding of one’s blood for the faith of Christ. (Repeat 
together; use the blackboard ). 

4. The two children were beside themselves with 
joy on the eve of their Baptism. They could scarcely 
wait for the following morning, so ardent was 
their longing for Holy Baptism. In their young hearts 
there glowed the holy fire of the love of God; and 
surely deep down in their hearts they felt a detestation 
over having hitherto frequently been so wicked and 
unthankful to their good Father in Heaven. Now if 
the children had died without Baptism, do you think, 
the good God would have rejected them? No, they 
would have been saved through their holy desire for 
Baptism and through their ardent love of God. That 
is the Baptism of desire: Baptism of desire is an ar¬ 
dent wish to receive Baptism and to do all that God 
has ordained for our salvation. (Repeat together; 
use blackboard) . In other words, Baptism of desire 
is the same as an act of perfect charity, or of perfect 
contrition, together with the determined will to receive 


24 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

Baptism, or to do all that God has ordained for our sal¬ 
vation. 

5. Now you know how many kinds of Baptism 
there are. There are three kinds of Baptism: Bap¬ 
tism of water, of desire, and of blood. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard underlining the three 
words) . Every man ought to receive the Baptism of 
water, for that is the will of Christ. But Baptism of 
desire or of blood is sufficient to produce the effects of 
Baptism of water, if it is impossible to receive the Bap¬ 
tism of water. (Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 

Write on the blackboard: 

1. Private Baptism—every man; 

2. Solemn Baptism—priests—pastors of souls; 

3. Baptism of blood —martyrdom for Christ; 

4. Baptism of desire —ardent desire for Baptism 
perfect charity, or contrition; 

5. Baptism of desire, or of blood—similar effects 
to Baptism of water —if impossible to receive 
Baptism of water. 

Synthesis. God does everything in order that we 
may be saved; but man must also cooperate. We 
have seen that today again in regard to Baptism. 
Who can administer Baptism?—What is the Baptism 
called, which any one can administer?—the Baptism 
of the priest?—Can Baptism of water ever be re¬ 
placed by any other Baptism?—What is Baptism of 
blood?—of desire?—How many kinds of Baptism are 
there?—Is Baptism of blood or desire sufficient to pro¬ 
duce the effects of Baptism of water?—Which of these 
is the Sacrament of Baptism?— {Have the pupils read 
the answers from the Catechism. Assign the lesson 
for the next class ). 

Application. 1. Every man can baptize validly. 
When a child is brought to Holy Baptism, the priest 
first asks: “Has the child already received private 
Baptism ?”—A second Baptism is forbidden. If the 


PRIVATE BAPTISM 25 

child has received Baptism validly, it is already 
a child of God. Then only the prayers and holy cere¬ 
monies are supplied.—You know, that the Protestants 
have Holy Baptism. If a Protestant later on becomes 
a Catholic, may he be baptized again ?—And yet, often¬ 
times one hears of a re-baptism. Then the Protestants 
rail against our holy Church and say, that we do not 
hold their Baptism to be valid. That is not true. 
But this much is true, that many Protestants do not 
baptize validly.—A teacher was instructing the chil¬ 
dren about Holy Baptism. In the school there was 
also a Jewish girl. During the noon recess the teacher 
suddenly heard a loud cry of joy. “What is the mat¬ 
ter ?” “We baptized Sophie”! the children exclaimed. 
Two of the bigger girls had indeed conferred Holy 
Baptism on the Jewish girl. “Did you really have the 
intention of baptizing?” the teacher asked with con¬ 
cern? “Yes!” Was the Baptism valid? It was if the 
Jewish girl intended to receive Baptism.—The chil¬ 
dren, of course, did not commit any sin, because they 
did not thoroughly understand what they were doing. 

2. Baptism of blood holds good for Baptism of 
water. Who received the Baptism of blood?—St. 
John the Baptist died for Christ. The Holy Innocents 
were baptized in their own blood; for they lost their 
lives for the Infant Jesus.—St. Agnes died as a youth¬ 
ful martyr. Many Christians went to her grave, in 
order to pray. Heathens wanted to drive them away 
and threw stones at them and wounded them. Among 
these there was also a friend and playmate of Agnes, 
named Emmerentiana. She was not yet baptized. 
When the heathens approached, she faced them and 
rebuked them. But they picked up stones and stoned 
her to death. Thus did Emmerentiana receive the 
Baptism of blood. 

3. Baptism of desire also holds good for Baptism 
of water. The Roman Emperor Valentinian was as 
yet a heathen, but he wanted to become a Christian. 
Therefore he traveled to Milan, in order to be baptized 


26 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

by St. Ambrose. On the way thither he was mur¬ 
dered. His relations were disconsolate. But the holy 
Bishop comforted them, saying: “He was baptized, 
because he desired to be baptized”. He meant to say: 
He became a Christian by the Baptism of desire and 
is saved. 


LESSON IV. 

Baptismal Vows—Baptismal Sponsors. 
Catechetical Unit: 

1) What do we promise in Baptism? L. XIV, Q. 

162. 

2) Why are godfathers and godmothers given in 

Baptism? L. XIV, Q. 164. 

3) What is the obligation of a godfather and a 

godmother? L. XIV, Q. 164. 

4) Why is the name of a Saint given in Baptism? 

L. XIV, Q. 163. 

Preparation. Dear children, Baptism is the gate to 
Heaven. Only through Baptism can we enter into the 
kingdom of Heaven. Because Baptism is so neces¬ 
sary, God has made baptizing so easy. Who can bap¬ 
tize validly?—But there is a threefold Baptism: Bap¬ 
tism of water, Baptism of blood, Baptism of desire. 
You heard about that in the last class. ( Question the 
pupils briefly on the foregoing lesson). 

God adopts the baptized person as His child and 
promises him eternal life. To be sure, the baptized 
person too must promise something.—At Holy Bap¬ 
tism you also received a sponsor. The sponsor like¬ 
wise must promise something. 

Aim. You are to hear of that today: 1) What 
does the person baptized promise? 2) What does the 
sponsor promise? 

Presentation. In the early Christian Church when 


BAPTISMAL VOWS AND SPONSORS 27 

a heathen received Baptism, he had first to renounce 
the devil and then pledge loyalty to Christ. It took 
place in this way: The person to be baptized first 
turned in the direction of the setting of the sun (con¬ 
sequently towards the west.) Then the Bishop asked 
him solemnly: “Dost thou renounce Satan? ” The 
person to be baptized had to answer: “I do renounce 
him.” “Dost thou renounce all his works?” The 
one about to receive Baptism replied: “I do renounce 
them.” 

Thereupon the person to be baptized turned in the 
direction of the rising of the sun (consequently 
towards the east), and again the Bishop asked him 
solemnly: “Wilt thou believe in the Christian Faith 
and live and die in this Faith?” Then the one to be 
baptized made a profession of his Faith. Only then 
did he receive Holy Baptism. 

The sponsor took his ward by the hand and led him 
down the steps to the baptismal font, or basin. There 
the one to be baptized was dipped, or immersed, three 
times beneath the water, while the Bishop spoke the 
words of Holy Baptism: “I baptize thee in the name 
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” 
Thereupon the sponsor led his ward out again. If the 
one baptized happened to be a child, the sponsor 
lifted him out of the water. But the Bishop gave the 
newly baptized person a white garment and anointed 
the crown of his head as a sign, that now: Thou art 
a Christian, an anointed of the Lord. 

Explanation. 1. You do not, of course, understand 
everything perfectly as yet. I must explain some 
points to you. 

a) The person to be baptized first looked in the 
direction of the setting sun. That has a very beautiful 
meaning.—When the sun has set, everything gradual¬ 
ly becomes dark. There in the west the people of old 
imagined was the kingdom of darkness. The prince 
in the kingdom of darkness is the devil. Do you now 
understand the significant ceremony?—The one to be 


28 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

baptized meant to say: “Depart from me Satan! I 
will have nothing further to do with thee and all thy 
works, and all thy pomps (or vanities) Do you 
know the works of the devil? They are sin and the 
dangers to sin, the wicked occasions of sins. But why 
renounce especially the devil’s pomps, or vanities?— 
Vanity, or pride, is the root of all evil. Back of every 
sin there lurks a little pride. Through pride Lucifer 
and his angels fell and became devils. Through pride 
our first parents fell and became unhappy. Therefore, 
the person to be baptized had to renounce Satan. 

Just as formerly so now the one to be baptized must 
renounce (or vow to avoid) everything that is dis¬ 
pleasing to God, and to lead a life such as pleases 
God.—In Baptism we promise to renounce the devil 
with all his works and pomps. (Repeat together; use 
the blackboard; see the diagram below just above the 
synthesis ). 

b) Thereupon the person to be baptized looked 
towards the rising of the sun. That again has a deep 
meaning. In the east in the morning the sun rises in 
the heavens. There the people of old imagined was 
the kingdom of light. But the king in the kingdom 
of light is Christ; for He brought us from Heaven the 
light of truth and of grace. The person to be baptized 
turned in that direction, in order to profess solemnly 
his Faith and to vow loyalty to Christ. 

Now it is still the custom with us, that the person 
to receive Holy Baptism must solemnly profess his 
Faith. The priest says: “Dost thou believe in God, 
the Father, almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth?” 
—“I do believe!” “Dost thou believe in Jesus Christ, 
His only Son, our Lord, Who was born and suffered 
for us?”—“I do believe!” “Dost thou believe in the 
Holy Ghost, one Holy Catholic Church, the Commun¬ 
ion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection 
of the body, and life everlasting?”—“I do believe!” 
And how long ought the person to be baptized to pre¬ 
serve faithfully the Catholic Faith?—Until he will see 


BAPTISMAL VOWS AND SPONSORS 29 

Christ face to face.—Yes, in Baptism we promise to 
believe the Catholic teachings firmly and steadfastly 
until death. (Repeat together ). 

This promise of the one to be baptized is called the 
baptismal vow, or covenant. Why baptismal cove¬ 
nant?—When two persons enter into an agreement, 
or covenant, with each other, one promises something 
to the other. In Baptism God and the person baptized 
enter into an agreement, or covenant, with each other. 
The person baptized promises: I will believe and live 
as a Christian! And God promises him: I will give 
you eternal life for that! 

2. I have just been speaking about the promises of 
the person to be baptized. The priest asks various 
questions of the child that is about to receive Baptism, 
although he knows that the child does not understand 
them at all. But it also happens, that grown up people 
are baptized, and formerly that was much more com¬ 
mon than now. When an adult is baptized, he under¬ 
stands the questions of the priest and can also answer 
in his own name. But because these questions are full 
of meaning the Church does not want to omit them 
even at the Baptism of infants. Therefore the god¬ 
father and godmother (godparents, sponsors) answer 
the questions in the child's name. They do in the 
child's stead everything, that the child would have to 
do for itself, if it could think and speak.—Godfathers 
and godmothers are given in Baptism, in order that 
they may promise, in the name of the child, what the 
child itself would promise if it had the use of reason. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 

3. a) From our story you recall what the duty of 
the sponsor was in the early days.—He used to lead 
the person to be baptized down the steps to the bap¬ 
tismal font, or basin, and back up again. Now he 
holds the child at the solemn moment of Baptism in 
his arms, or at least he places his hand upon the child. 
This ceremony is not without its meaning. Thereby 
the sponsor declares, as it were: I take this child under 


30 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


my care. I will be to him a visible Guardian Angel. 
I promise to see to it, that this child receives proper 
instructions in his religious duties.—The obligation of 
the godfather and the godmother is to instruct the 
child in his religious duties. ( Repeat together; use the 
blackboard.) 

b) In the earliest days the office of sponsor was 
very important. Then there were many dangers to 
Faith and Christian life. Not unfrequently did it 
happen, that a Christian fell back into pagan idolatry. 
Then it was the sacred duty of the godfather and the 
godmother to lead that person back to the right path. 
Nowadays the office of sponsor is, of course, not so 
very significant. Our children have Christian parents 
and attend Christian schools. But if the parents of a 
child were to die, or to neglect their duty towards the 
child, the godfather and the godmother would be bound 
in conscience to interest themselves in that poor child, 
and to educate it in a Christian manner, or at least to 
see to it, that the child receives proper religious in¬ 
struction.—Consequently the obligation of a godfather 
and a godmother is to instruct the child in its religious 
duties, if the parents neglect to do so or die. ( Repeat 
together; use the blackboard ). 

Now tell me yourselves: May one choose a Protes¬ 
tant to be sponsor?—May a bad Catholic act as spon¬ 
sor?—Whoever himself is not a good Catholic, cannot 
educate others to be good Catholics.— (The sponsors 
and the person baptized become spiritually related to 
each other). 

4. Every person baptized receives at Baptism a 
name; that is then his baptismal name . For this pur¬ 
pose we always choose the name of a Saint; he then 
is the Patron Saint of the person baptized. That has 
also its meaning.—The Saint, whose name is chosen, 
is the special protector and intercessor with God in 
Heaven for the person baptized. But that Saint ought 
also to be a model for the life of the one who is bap¬ 
tized.—The name of a Saint is given in Baptism, in 


BAPTISMAL VOWS AND SPONSORS 31 

order that the person baptized may imitate his virtues 
and have him for a protector. (Repeat together; use 
the blackboard.) —King Alexander was a brave hero 
in war. In his army there was a certain soldier, who 
also was called Alexander; but he was a coward in 
battle. The king called him one day to himself and 
spoke to him in the following way: “Are you called 
Alexander? Then either be an Alexander or lay aside 
your name”!—So too I say to you: “Are you called 
Joseph, or Mary? Well then, be a Joseph, or a Mary, 
in your daily life; otherwise you are not worthy to be 
called by that name”! 

Write on the blackboard : 

1. The person baptized promises—to renounce the 

devil, his works, his pomps (to please God— 
to believe firmly). 

2. The sponsors promise—in the child's name. 

3. The sponsors' duty—to instruct child in religious 

duties (if parents are negligent, or die). 

4. Baptismal name—Saint is protector and model. 

Synthesis. We promise great things in Holy Bap¬ 
tism ; but greater things are promised to us. What do 
we promise in Baptism?—Why is that promise called 
baptismal covenant?—What do the sponsors promise? 
—Who can be a sponsor?—What are the duties of 
sponsors?—Why is a name given in Holy Baptism? 
(Have the pupils read the answers from the Cate¬ 
chism. Assign the lesson for the next class ). 

Application. 1. Once we all promised God fidelity 
and God promised us Heaven. God will keep His 
promise, for He is faithful; but we too must be faith¬ 
ful to our promise. Therefore you ought frequently 
to renew your baptismal vow, particularly on the an¬ 
niversary of your Holy Baptism. You will do that also 
solemnly on the day of your First Communion (and 
again at Holy Confirmation). 

2. Elpidophorus received, as was customary in his 


32 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

days, a white garment on the day of his Baptism from 
his sponsor, the deacon Muritta with the words: “Re¬ 
ceive this white garment and bring it back unsoiled 
before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ”! Later on, 
however, Elpidophorus denied the Faith and became a 
heathen again. Soon afterwards the Christians were 
bitterly persecuted. Then he even accepted the office 
of judge. Muritta also came before his tribunal. But 
he was well aware of his duty as sponsor. Therefore 
he took the white garment with him, which he had 
once placed on his ward; and drawing it forth from 
under his mantle he held it before the eyes of the 
apostate Elpidophorus with the words: “Unfaithful 
one, see here the white garment! In this garment 
you swore fidelity to God and you renounced the devil 
with all his works and his pomps. And you have broken 
your loyalty and committed treason against Christ, the 
eternal Judge. This white garment will testify against 
you at the judgment-seat of Jesus Christ, will accuse 
you, condemn you”! This terrible shame the unhappy 
man could not stand. Struck with terror he fell down 
from the judgment-seat and died. 

3. Children, you also once promised Christ loyalty. 
If you do not keep your word, Christ will some day say 
to you as He did to the slothful servant: “Out of thy 
own mouth will I judge thee. Thou hast promised Me 
to believe and to live and to die in a Christian manner; 
thou hast not kept thy word: Depart from Me”! But 
if you keep your baptismal vow faithfully, the eternal 
Judge, Christ, will say to you: “Well done, thou good 
and faithful servant: Enter thou into the joys of 
thy Lord”! 


SOLEMN BAPTISM 


33 


LESSON V. 

Solemn Baptism. 

Catechetical Unit: 

Which are the chief ceremonies used at solemn 
Baptism ? 

Preparation. Dear children, recall that never-to-be- 
forgotten day when you were made children of God by 
Holy Baptism, and repeat again and again from your 
hearts the promises you made on that occasion. These 
words were registered in Heaven. God heard them; 
the Angels also heard them and rejoiced. Satan heard 
them, too, and was filled with anger; and on the judg¬ 
ment-day you will see them written in the book of 
God's eternal judgments. Let us now review this 
lesson briefly. ( Question the pupils on the foregoing 
lesson ). 

The Baptism, which anyone can administer, is called 
Private Baptism, but the Baptism, which only the 
priest can ordinarily confer, is called Solemn Baptism. 
Why Solemn Baptism?—A precious gem is enclosed 
in gold; thereby it becomes really more beautiful. 
Now Holy Baptism is worth a thousand times more 
than the most precious gem. It, too, is enclosed in a 
beautiful case of significant words and signs. There¬ 
by it becomes more solemn. These signs and words 
are called “ceremonies.” You already know some of 
these holy ceremonies. 

Aim. Now I am going to describe for you Solemn 
Baptism and explain the meaning of each ceremony . 

Presentation and Explanation. 

A. Ceremonies Before Baptism. 

1. The person to be baptized is still a heathen. 
Therefore he may not enter into the church, but must 
wait at the church door. Then the priest comes and 
receives him and asks: “How is this child to be 


34 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


called?” The sponsor says the name: “Aloysius or 
Agnes.” The priest asks further: “Aloysius, what 
dost thou ask of the Church of God?” — “Faith.” 
“What doth Faith give to thee?”—“Life everlasting.” 
“If, therefore, thou wilt enter into life, keep the Com¬ 
mandments: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with 
all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy 
mind, and thy neighbor as thyself.” 

The person to be baptized asks for Faith. That will 
perhaps surprise you. Why does he not ask for Bap¬ 
tism?—Without Faith Baptism is powerless. That 
Jesus Himself has said: “He that believeth and is 
baptized, will be saved” (Mark xvi, 16). To be sure, 
simply to believe is not sufficient; no, but to believe 
and to live according to that Faith is the way to 
eternal life. Therefore the priest expressly and em¬ 
phatically insists upon that, saying: “If, therefore, 
thou wilt enter into life, keep the Commandments!” 
All the Commandments are contained briefly in the 
great Commandment: Love God above all things and 
thy neighbor as thyself! (Use the blackboard; insert 
the word : Questions.) 

2. After these questions the priest blows three 
times into the face of the person to be baptized. At 
the same time he prays: “Depart from him (her), 
unclean spirit, and give place to the Holy Spirit, the 
Paraclete!” And immediately he makes the sign of 
the cross on the forehead and the breast of the child, 
saying: “Receive the sign of the cross on thy fore¬ 
head and breast; observe faithfully the Command¬ 
ments of God and so walk, that thou mayest be a 
temple of God!” In a prayer the priest then begs God, 
to give to him, that is to be baptized, the strength to 
fulfil that duty. 

What does the blowing into the face signify?—The 
little prayer tells us: “Depart from him (her), un¬ 
clean spirit, and give place to the Holy Spirit!” The 
wicked spirit has still power over the child; but 
through Baptism the child is to become a temple of 


SOLEMN BAPTISM 


35 


the Holy Ghost. That is a great grace and a high 
dignity; we owe that to Christ, the Crucified One. 
Therefore the child receives the sign of the cross, and 
that indeed on his forehead and breast. That ought 
to be for the one to be baptized an exhortation: Bear 
Christ's teachings faithfully in thy heart and profess 
Christ’s teachings in thy life! ( Use the blackboard; 
insert the words : Blowing—Sign of the Cross.) 

3. Hereupon the priest places into the mouth of the 
child a few grains of salt, that has been blessed, and 
says: “Aloysius, receive the salt of wisdom; may it be 
to thee forgiveness unto eternal life!” 

That too has a beautiful meaning. You know, that 
salt preserves from corruption. So too the person to 
be baptized is to be preserved from the corruption of 
sin. But salt also makes food tasteful, savoury. So 
too the Christian ought to have a taste for the teach¬ 
ings and Commandments of Christ. That is true wis¬ 
dom; everything else is only foolishness. Why? For 
doing that he will some day obtain eternal life. Then 
he will be allowed to see God and enjoy Him, and that 
is the greatest happiness. ( Use the blackboard. In¬ 
sert the word : Salt.) 

4. Now the priest exorcizes the evil spirit. At the 
same time he makes the sign of the cross three times 
over the child and says: “I exorcize thee, unclean 
spirit, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
of the Holy Ghost. Go out from and leave this servant 
of God!” Then he again makes the sign of the cross 
on the forehead of the child and prays: “And this sign 
of the cross, which we impress on the forehead of this 
child, never dare, unclean spirit, to violate!” 

Here it is not necessary to explain much. Christ 
gave His Apostles power over the wicked spirits. This 
power the priest has also. In Christ’s name he drives 
out the spirit of darkness. The sign of the cross is 
impressed on the forehead of the one to be baptized. 
Why?—The evil spirit fears the cross and flees before 


36 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


it; for on the cross Christ conquered Satan. ( Use the 
blackboard. Insert the word: Exorcism.) 

5. After this exorcism the priest leads the one to be 
baptized into the church. He places his stole on the 
child, saying at the same time: “Aloysius, enter into 
the temple of God, so that thou mayest have a share 
with Christ unto eternal life!” While they enter the 
church, the Apostles' Creed and the Our Father are 
recited aloud. These two prayers ought from the 
moment of Baptism ever to be for a Christian his daily 
bread, as it were. (Use the blackboard. Insert the 
words: Entrance into the church.) 

6. The priest halts just before the baptismal font. 
Again he exorcizes the spirit of darkness; for the 
moment of Baptism is at hand. Then the priest 
touches the ears and the nostrils of the person to be 
baptized with spittle, saying at the same time: “Eph- 
pheta, i. e. be thou opened unto the odor of sweetness!” 
In a like manner Christ once acted over the man that 
was deaf and dumb. He put His finger into the ears 
and touched the tongue of that man with spittle and 
said to him: “Ephpheta, that is, be thou opened!” 
And immediately his ears were opened and the string 
of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke right (Mark 
vii, 33-35). — Now you can easily understand the 
meaning of this ceremony. The heathen is hard of 
hearing (deaf) as regards the good. But the Chris¬ 
tian ought to listen to the word of God joyfully and 
never listen to the voice of the wicked spirit. (Use 
the blackboard. Insert the ivords: Moistening with 
spittle.) 

7. The priest has exorcized the devil. Now the one 
to be baptized must himself renounce the devil. You 
already know how the priest goes about it by the 
questions he asks. — “Aloysius, dost thou renounce 
Satan?”—“I do renounce him!” “And all his works?” 

—“I do renounce them!” “And all his pomps?”_“I 

do renounce them!” 


SOLEMN BAPTISM 37 

But that is not so easy to renounce all the works of 
the devil—sin and the dangers to sin. To do that the 
person to be baptized needs strength from above. 
Therefore immediately after this he is anointed with 
holy oil (oil of the Catechumens) on the breast and 
between the shoulders. A Christian ought to fight 
against Satan and the wicked world and wicked pleas¬ 
ure. A Christian ought to carry the yoke of Christ, 
that is, faithfully keep God's Commandments. God's 
grace must make him strong for that purpose. — 
(While Augustine was still a heathen, his heart often 
became heavy within him, when he thought: As a 
Christian I ought to live chastely and temperately, 
overcome pride, love my enemies. He imagined that all 
that was simply impossible for him. Then he received 
Holy Baptism and behold, everything became easy for 
him. Now he understood the words of Christ: “My 
yoke is sweet and My burden light.'') (Use the black¬ 
board. Insert the words: Baptismal vow.) 

8. After the baptismal vow the one to be baptized 
must also solemnly profess his Faith. What does the 
priest ask?—“Aloysius, dost thou believe in God, the 
Father, almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth?"—“I 
do believe!" “Dost thou believe in Jesus Christ, His 
only Son, our Lord, Who was born and suffered for 
us?"—“I do believe!" “Dost thou believe in the Holy 
Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of 
Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the 
body, and life everlasting?”—“I do believe!" (Use 
the blackboard. Insert the words: Profession of 
Faith.) 

9. Now the great moment has come. Earnestly and 
solemnly the priest asks: “Aloysius, wilt thou be bap¬ 
tized?"—“I will!" 

Why does the priest ask this question so solemnly? 
—He wants to admonish the person about to be bap¬ 
tized of this truth: You are about to take an impor- 


38 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


tant step, that is decisive for all eternity. But the 
person to be baptized ought to show, that he is really 
in holy earnestness, that he wishes to become a Chris¬ 
tian and a perfect Christian. ( Use the blackboard. 
Insert the words: Desire for Baptism.) 

10. How does the priest baptize?—At this moment 
the Holy Ghost comes down upon the one baptized and 
purifies his soul and decorates it with the wonderful 
garment of sanctifying grace. Now that child is a 
living temple of the Holy Ghost, a child of Christ and 
a child of God. His name is written in the book of 
eternal life. ( Use the blackboard. Insert the word: 
Baptism.) 

Write on the blackboard: 

Ceremonies before Baptism: 

1. Questions; 

2. Blowing—sign of the cross; 

3. Salt; 

4. Exorcisms; 

5. Entrance into the church; 

6. Moistening with spittle; 

7. Baptismal vow; 

8. Profession of Faith; 

9. Desire for Baptism; 

10. Baptism. 

B. Ceremonies After Baptism. 

11. Immediately after Baptism the priest anoints 
the child with holy chrism on the crown of its head 
and prays: “God almighty, the Father of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, hath regenerated thee in water and the 
Holy Ghost and given thee forgiveness of sins: may 
He anoint thee with the chrism of salvation in our 
Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” He means to 
say: Thou art now a Christian—an anointed of the 
Lord. Thou hast a high and a great dignity. Give 


SOLEMN BAPTISM 39 

honor to thy name and be a perfect Christian; imitate 
Christ! ( Use the blackboard. Insert the words: 
Anointed with chrism.) 

12. Hereupon the priest adorns the newly baptized 
person with the white garment. You know the beauti¬ 
ful words, which he says on that occasion.—“Receive 
the white garment and bring it back unspotted before 
the judgment-seat of Jesus Christ, in order that thou 
mayest have life everlasting!” Glorious words of coun¬ 
sel! Behold, you have received the garment of inno¬ 
cence. Preserve it carefully during your entire life, do 
not soil it with the filth of sin. May your garment of 
innocence be your heavenly wedding garment! (Use 
the blackboard. Insert the words: White garment.) 

13. Now a final ceremony follows. The priest hands 
to the baptized person a burning candle with the 
words: “Receive this burning candle and preserve thy 
Baptism without blame. Keep the Commandments of 
God, so that when the Lord comes to His nuptials, thou 
mayest meet Him with all the Saints of the heavenly 
court, and mayest have eternal life, and live forever 
and ever. Amen.” 

Did you grasp the meaning ? As the burning candle 
so in the heart of the person baptized ought to burn 
the love of God; so too ought sanctifying grace to shine. 
But the candle also reminds the one baptized of the 
words of the Lord: “Let your light shine before all 
men, that they may see your works, and glorify your 
Father, Who is in Heaven” (Matt, v, 16). A true 
Christian ought to light the way to all by his pious, 
virtuous life. ( Use the blackboard. Insert the words: 
Baptismal candle.) 

14. Holy Baptism is over. The priest dismisses the 
newly baptized person with the beautiful greeting: 
“Aloysius, go in peace and may the Lord be with 
thee!” ( Use the blackboard. Insert the words: Greet¬ 
ing of peace.) 


40 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Write on the blackboard: 

Ceremonies after Baptism: 

11. Anointing with chrism; 

12. White garment; 

13. Baptismal candle; 

14. Greeting of peace. 

Application. 1. Now you know the holy ceremonies 
of Baptism and their wealth of meaning. You may 
also come into the church and watch the priest admin¬ 
ister the Sacrament. 

(The catechist ought not to neglect to lead the children in 
groups into the church. The instructions concerning Holy Bap¬ 
tism will become fruitful and be lastingly impressed on their 
memories only by actual observation.) 

2. For today let us renew together what we all 
promised to God at Holy Baptism: 

“0 God! through Thy merciful love as a weak, 
young infant have I been purified from sin in Holy 
Baptism, renewed to Thy image, sanctified by Thy 
grace and received into Thy Church. 

Joyfully I profess my Faith in Thee, 0 Father, in 
Thy Son, in the Holy Ghost, and I will live and die in 
the One, Holy, Catholic Church according to this holy 
and saving Faith. 

I renounce anew all sin, the devil and all his pomps 
and all his works; I vow to Thee again to faithfully 
keep all Thy Commandments, to love Thee above all 
things and my fellowmen as myself. 

I beg Thee, awaken, renew in me the grace, which 
Thou didst give me in Holy Baptism through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen.” 


RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL VOWS 


41 


LESSON VI. 

Renewal of Baptismal Vows. 

(Supplementary) 

Catechetical Unit: 

Explain the ceremony of the renewal of the bap¬ 
tismal vows. 

(N. B. The beautiful and impressive ceremony of the re¬ 
newal of the baptismal vows takes place either on the occasion 
of First Holy Communion or more generally on the day of Holy 
Confirmation. The ceremonies connected with this public act 
ought to be performed with as much solemnity as possible. 
Since, however, there is no uniformly adopted mode of pro¬ 
cedure in this matter, the questions and answers we have 
presented and explained are a reproduction of the instruction 
arranged by Dr. Stieglitz. Each catechist may select and 
abridge as local custom and his own good judgment dictate.) 

Preparation. Dear children, in Holy Baptism you 
have made a covenant with the good God, the bap¬ 
tismal covenant. God adopted you as His children and 
promised you Heaven; but you promised to believe as 
Catholics and to live as good children of God. What 
do we vow in Holy Baptism?—( Question the pupils 
briefly on lesson IV.) —This solemn baptismal cove¬ 
nant you are about to renew now (on the day of your 
First Holy Communion—Holy Confirmation.) Seven¬ 
teen (or less) questions are placed before you, and you 
are to answer them with heart and mouth. But you 
will not understand all these questions without some 
special explanation. 

Aim. Therefore I am going to explain for you 
briefly today the baptismal vows. For every child 
ought to know what he promises God. 

Presentation, Explanation, Application. 

First twelve questions are addressed to you concern¬ 
ing Faith. Each time you are to answer: “We do 
believe” 

1. Do you believe in God, the Father, almighty, 
Creator of Heaven and earth? 


42 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

It is not necessary to explain much here. You all 
know: How many persons are there in God ?—Why is 
God called “Creator of Heaven and earth ?” — The 
Father is the Creator of the world. He said: “Let it 
be made!” And all was made. Every man is a little 
world. The Father has created you too. You ought 
to thank Him for that and live for God. 

2. Do you believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, 
Who became man for our sakes and died on the cross 
for us? 

Neither is this new to you. Who is Jesus Christ?— 
Christ is God’s Son; the whole Christian religion de¬ 
pends upon that truth. We believe that firmly and 
profess with Peter: “Thou art Christ, the Son of the 
living God!” Why did the Son of God become man?— 
Why did Jesus wish to suffer and to die?—Christ’s 
death is our life. “If Christ had not died, we all would 
have been lost.” How much love and thanks we owe 
Jesus! “I thank Thee, Lord Jesus Christ, that Thou 
hast died for me. 0, let not Thy Blood and Passion 
be in vain for me!” 

3. Do you believe, that Jesus Christ arose again on 
the third day from the dead and that He ascended into 
Heaven, and from thence He shall come again to judge 
the living and the dead? 

This question includes the fifth, sixth and seventh 
articles of the Apostles’ Creed. — On Good Friday 
evening the Body of Jesus was laid in the grave. 
Mary, the Mother of Sorrows, and the disciples were 
all sunk in sorrow. But soon their sorrow was changed 
into joy. What happened on the morning of the third 
day?—Jesus came forth alive and transfigured from 
the sealed grave. That is our Easter Faith. How long 
did Jesus continue on earth?—After forty days came 
the hour of departure. Jesus journeyed with. His 
dear ones to Mount Olivet, blessed them again, for the 
last time on earth, and ascended into Heaven. But 
Christ will come again. The angel announced that: 
“This Jesus, Who is taken up from you to Heaven, 


RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL VOWS 43 

shall so come as you have seen Him going into Heaven” 
(Acts of Apostles i, 11). When will that happen?— 
To be sure, then Jesus will come no longer as Redeem¬ 
er, but as Judge, no longer poor and humble as at His 
birth, but with great power and majesty. 

4. Do you believe in the Holy Ghost, Who has 
spoken through the Prophets, Apostles and Evan¬ 
gelists ? 

Which Prophets do you know?—The Prophets had 
to teach the people of God, admonish, warn, punish; 
but they also prophesied, or foretold, the things that 
were to happen. Through their mouth the Holy Ghost 
spoke.—Who are the twelve Apostles?—Also through 
them did the Holy Ghost speak. Just think of the 
feast of Pentecost, of the first council of Christians at 
Jerusalem. Two of the Apostles, Matthew and John, 
wrote down the life and teachings and sufferings of 
Christ; likewise two disciples of the Apostles, Mark 
and Luke. These four are called Evangelists. The 
Holy Ghost moved them to write the Gospel; the Holy 
Ghost also enlightened them, so that they might write 
everything correctly. Thus did the Holy Ghost speak 
also through the Evangelists. 

5. Do you believe in one, holy, catholic, apostolic 
Church and in the Communion of Saints? 

That is the ninth article of the Apostles' Creed.— 
The Church is the great family of Christians on the 
whole earth. Christ has instituted only one Church; 
for He said to Peter: “Upon this rock I will build My 
Church.” This Church is holy; for all of her children 
are to be holy and many are already Saints in Heaven. 
This Church is catholic or universal; for she is for all 
men of all times and she is also spread over the wide 
world. This Church is apostolic; for Christ founded 
it upon the Apostles and the Apostles continue to live 
in the Pope and in the Bishops. 

6. Do you believe in the forgiveness of sins, in the 
resurrection of the body and in life everlasting? 


44 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


That is the contents of the last three articles of the 
Creed. Where do we receive the forgiveness of sins? 
—For this purpose we have Baptism and Penance; both 
are from Christ. Thus do we believe. Because of sin 
we must die. After death the body returns to the 
earth, whence it has been taken. But that is really 
only a sleep of death. How so?—On the last day 
Christ will send forth His Angels and they will call into 
all graves: “Awaken, all ye dead! It is the resurrec¬ 
tion of the body.” Then all will arise and appear at 
the judgment. But after the judgment eternal life 
begins in Heaven. 

7. Do you believe, that the Sacred Scripture of the 
Old and New Testaments and the Tradition of the 
Church are to be reverenced, honored and obeyed as 
the revelations of God? 

This you will not as yet understand. How is the 
Bible divided?—What the Old Testament relates holy 
men have written down in the Old Testament; what 
the New Testament narrates we have from the Apos¬ 
tles. You already know: Who has spoken through the 
mouth of these holy men ?—The contents of the Sacred 
Scriptures, therefore, come from God; they are revela¬ 
tions of God. Therefore we must reverence and honor 
and obey them.—But the Apostles did not write down 
everything about Jesus; many of these truths they 
taught only by word of mouth. These teachings were 
handed down from mouth to mouth like an inheritance. 
This holy inheritance we call Tradition. Tradition, 
therefore, also comes from God; it contains the revela¬ 
tions of God. Consequently we must reverence and 
honor and obey it. 

8. Do you believe, that the Holy Ghost according to 
Christ's promises will remain with the Church to the 
end of time and keep it in all truth? 

This is no longer new to you. With what words did 
Christ promise the Holy Ghost to His Church?—“I 
will ask the Father and He shall give you another 
Paraclete, that He may abide with you forever, the 


RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL VOWS 45 

Spirit of truth” (John xv, 16). And again: ‘The 
Spirit of truth will teach you all truth” (John xvi, 13). 
That is Christ’s word and His word is truth. We 
believe, that the Holy Ghost is still with the Church 
and that He is the great Teacher of the Church. 

9. Do you believe, that the Church alone has the 
right to decide about the right interpretation (explan¬ 
ation) of the Holy Scriptures and about disputes in 
matters of Faith? 

Already in the days of the Apostles there was a 
dispute in matters of Faith. Who decided? — The 
Apostles held a council and Peter spoke: “It hath 
seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us: Thus must 
every Christian believe.” Peter did that in the name 
and by the authority of Christ.—Later on Luther be¬ 
gan a dispute in the Church. He interpreted (ex¬ 
plained) the Holy Scriptures simply according to his 
own mind and made a new Faith for himself. Who 
decided the dispute? You already know that.—The 
Church is the Teacher of Faith; she alone can rightly 
interpret the Holy Scriptures and decide questions of 
Faith and morals. 

10. Do you believe, that there are seven Holy Sacra¬ 
ments which Jesus Christ instituted for the salvation 
of the faithful? 

Seven little fountains of grace flow in our Church, 
seven Holy Sacraments. In each of these Sacraments 
there is the power of the Blood of Christ. All seven 
Sacraments Jesus gave to us, in order that in them we 
might obtain salvation. Thus do we Catholics believe. 
But there are other Christians, who believe differently. 
What did Luther teach about the Sacraments? 

11. Do you believe, that through the Holy Sacra¬ 
ment of Confirmation is given to you the special grace 
of the Holy Ghost, in order to steadfastly preserve the 
Faith? 

That was the gift of Pentecost for the Apostles, 
That also is the special gift of Confirmation: Through 


46 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


the Holy Ghost you become strong in the Faith and the 
life of Faith. Just think of the Japanese children, of 
Aquilina. 

12. Do you believe, that to obtain salvation it is also 
necessary to keep the Commandments? 

Simply to believe is not enough for Heaven; a Chris¬ 
tian must also live according to the Faith. You know 
the story of the rich young man. He asked: “Master, 
what must I do to obtain life everlasting?” Jesus 
answered: “If thou wilt enter life, keep the Command¬ 
ments.” Do you see? That is the way to Heaven: 
Keep the Commandments! 

These are the twelve questions about Faith. To 
these are added five more questions concerning the 
life of Christian Faith. Those renewing the baptismal 
vows answer earnestly and firmly to each question: 
“We do solemnly promise .” 

13. Do you solemnly promise according to Christ's 
command and example to love God above all things 
and your neighbor as yourselves? 

You know the great Commandment.—The kernel of 
the Commandment is: Love God above all things and 
thy neighbor as thyself! Whoever does that, does all 
things; whoever keeps this Commandment keeps all 
the Commandments. But do you know what that 
means: To love God above all things? You must love 
God more than father and mother, brother and sister, 
money and possessions, yes more than life—then you 
are perfect Christians. 

14. Do you solemnly promise with the help of the 
Holy Ghost to fulfil faithfully in all things the words 
of God and His Holy Church, not to waver in the 
Faith, not to depart from the regulations of salvation, 
no matter what the danger, the advantage or the 
profit ? 

A good child listens to the word of its father and 
mother. A good Christian obeys the word of God, his 
Father, and the word of his holy Mother, the Church. 
A good Christian does not waver in the Faith like a 


RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL VOWS 47 

weak reed in the wind. A good Christian does not 
depart from the ways of eternal salvation, but rather 
holds faithfully to what God and the Church pre¬ 
scribe for him. But whoever desires to be a good 
Christian, is exposed to many dangers. Not only abuse 
and ridicule must he suffer, perhaps also loss of money 
and possessions and honor. Or some advantage is 
promised him—a good salary, a good position, a good 
business—if he will only become unfaithful to his 
Faith; or the attempt is made to get him to leave the 
right path by enjoyment—pleasure, luxury. A good 
Christian will not allow himself to be deceived by such 
tinsel; he will not allow himself to be mislead, but 
rather thinks to himself: My Faith and a good con¬ 
science are dearer to me. 

15. Do you solemnly promise, with the assistance of 
the Holy Spirit, to resist with the courage of the holy 
Apostles and Martyrs, of the holy Virgins and Con¬ 
fessors, all attacks against your Faith, all temptations 
of the world and all the seducements of wicked 
pleasure ? 

You are to become soldiers of Christ. In the life of 
a Christian there are many sacrifices and battles. 
When you get bigger, wicked Christians will attack 
your Faith and ridicule you; the sinful pleasures of 
the world will blind your young hearts; wicked pleas¬ 
ure will flare up in your hearts like a sinister hellish 
fire. All these attacks against your Faith, all tempta¬ 
tions of the world and all allurements of wicked pleas¬ 
ure you are to resist courageously. When all these 
things come, think of the holy Apostles—Peter, Paul, 
James; think of the holy Martyrs—Stephen, Law¬ 
rence ; think of the holy Confessors—Augustine, Aloy- 
sius. They are glorious models. Like them you ought 
to be courageous soldiers of Christ. 

16. Do you solemnly promise to live and die as 
Catholic Christians? 

This question sums up again briefly all that we have 


48 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

said. A person that is confirmed—is a perfect Chris¬ 
tian! To live and to die as a Catholic—upon that 
eternal life depends! But you cannot do that alone. 
For that you need strength from above; but you ought 
to have in your hearts a holy and an ardent desire for 
the Holy Ghost. Therefore for the last time the ques¬ 
tion is asked: 

17. Do you desire the co-operation of the Holy 
Ghost and His graces, in order to be able to fulfil 
these vows and promises? 

All answer: “We do so desire” To this is added a 
final blessing: 

“Well then, may God, the Almighty, fulfil your de¬ 
sire; may He graciously accept your profession, your 
resolutions and vows; may He strengthen them by 
bestowing His Holy Spirit. In the name of the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.” 

That is your solemn promise. Now you ought to 
read it over again and again, so that all might know 
what they promise before God and the whole congre¬ 
gation. But also ask the Holy Spirit each day to help 
you to be able to keep your promise faithfully until 
death. 



II. 

CONFIRMATION 


I 


INTRODUCTION 


51 


INTRODUCTION. 

Dear children, it is not so very long since you made 
your First Holy Communion. Jesus, the Supreme and 
the All-Holy One, took up His abode with you. Soon 
the Holy Spirit, too, will come into your hearts—in 
Holy Confirmation. The Holy Ghost is God like the 
Father and the Son. The day of your Confirmation 
is, therefore, a great day of grace. Consequently you 
ought to prepare yourselves now with all zeal. But 
how should you prepare yourselves? 

1) To pray is the first necessary thing. We ought 
to pray humbly for every grace, and therefore also for 
the grace of Confirmation. Recite a good morning and 
evening prayer each day. 

2) Go to Holy Mass every day, if at all possible. 
You already know—Holy Mass is particularly also a 
sacrifice of petition. In it Jesus prays with and for 
us to His heavenly Father. Jesus once said: “I will 
ask the Father and He shall send you the Holy Spirit.” 
Jesus will pray for you. 

3) Make a visit to Jesus in the afternoon. Recite 
at that time the prayers marked: “Visit to Jesus in 
the Blessed Sacrament.” 

4) Each day make some little sacrifice: some little 
act of self-denial in eating or drinking, some mortifica¬ 
tion with the eyes, with the ears, with the tongue.— 

5) But especially keep your hearts pure; for a 
heavenly Guest is to take up His abode with you. The 
purer your hearts, the richer will be the graces of 
Confirmation. 

If you prepare yourselves in that way, the day of 
your Confirmation will be for you a day of grace. But 
you need the graces of Holy Confirmation very much; 
for many dangers threaten you. The wicked children 


52 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


of the world want to seduce you; the devil would like 
to delude you; wicked concupiscence in your hearts 
would like to seduce you. How can you then preserve 
your young hearts pure from the filthy stain of sin? 
Alone that is impossible; the Holy Ghost must 
strengthen you for that in Confirmation. 


LESSON VII. 

(Supplementary) 

The Holy Ghost in the Soul. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) Is the Holy Ghost still sent at the present time? 

(Deharbe.) 

2) What work does the Holy Ghost perform in the 

soul? (Deharbe.) 

3) How long does the Holy Ghost remain in the 

soul? (Deharbe.) 

(N. B. As a remote preparation for the reception of the 
Sacrament of Confirmation the catechist ought first to review 
the doctrine.of the Church on the Holy Ghost, as contained in 
the Apostles’ Creed, particularly concerning the mission of the 
Spirit as regards the threefold function of teaching, sanctifying 
and ruling. Then the catechist should enlighten the children 
on the mission of the Holy Ghost to the soul of the individual 
Christian. The following lesson aims at supplementing what 
is wanting in the Baltimore Catechism.) 

Preparation. Dear children, Confirmation is the 
Sacrament of the Holy Ghost. If you wish to under¬ 
stand Confirmation correctly, you must learn to know 
the Holy Ghost properly. Many Christains do not 
know Him; the Holy Ghost is for them an “unknown 
God.” But neither do you know too much about Him. 
Therefore we must first learn about the Holy Ghost. 
We hear of Him in the eighth article of the Apostles’ 
Creed: “I believe in the Holy Ghost.” The Holy Ghost 
is God. That is the first truth, which we believe about 


THE HOLY GHOST IN THE SOUL 53 

Him. Let us review this doctrine. ( Question the 
pupils briefly on this matter. Cf. our volume: “The 
Creed Explained”)— Who is the Holy Ghost? Is He 
equal to the Father and the Son? — Why? — From 
whom does the Holy Ghost proceed?—How did the 
Holy Ghost come down upon the Apostles?—When did 
He come down?—Who sent the Holy Ghost?— 

The Holy Ghost is especially in the Catholic Church, 
the great family of Christians, that is spread over the 
whole wide world. On Pentecost the young Church of 
Christ was assembled in a room in Jerusalem: Peter— 
the Head, the other Apostles—the Bishops, and the 
other disciples—the Faithful. However, the young 
Church still lacked the right life. When God made 
the first man, He formed and fashioned a body out of 
the earth. Then He breathed into the face of that 
body the breath of life. Something very much the 
same occurred on Pentecost: The Holy Ghost breathed 
the breath of life into the young Church of Christ. 
Ever since that time the Holy Ghost lives and works 
in the Church of Jesus Christ. Let us review this 
teaching. ( Question the pupils briefly on this doc¬ 
trine. Cf. our volume “The Creed Explained”) — 
Why did Christ send the Holy Ghost?—How does the 
Holy Ghost teach the Church?—How does the Holy 
Ghost sanctify the Church ?—How does the Holy Ghost 
rule the Church?—Will the Holy Ghost abide with the 
Church forever?— 

In the rumbling of a storm the Spirit of God came 
down on Pentecost. Quickly the doctrines of Christ 
spread into all countries. The Church, in the begin¬ 
ning merely a little insignificant plant, soon became 
like a great and flourishing tree in the beautiful month 
of May. Numberless Saints were the blossoms on the 
tree of the Church. Through whom did this happen? 
—It was the work of the Holy Ghost. 

Wonderful indeed is the work of the Holy Spirit in 
the Church. But every pure heart of man is a little 
church of God. The Holy Ghost dwells and works also 


54 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

in every pure heart of man in a very wonderful man¬ 
ner as the Dispenser of grace. 

Aim. That is what I must show you today in detail: 
the wondrous working of the Holy Ghost in the soul. 
We see that very well in the case of the Apostles. 

Presentation. Let us first relate again very briefly 
the story of the great miracle of Pentecost.— (The 
catechist might have one of the children tell the story 
in his own words. At the same time show the pupils 
a large picture of the Pentecost scene.) 

Explanation. 1. The descent of the Spirit of God on 
Pentecost was public and clearly visible to the great 
crowds, that had gathered in the Holy City. No one 
could deny it; for everyone heard the rumbling of the 
mighty wind, saw the tongues of fire and was aston¬ 
ished at the courage and the marvelous preaching of 
the Apostles. But that is not the last time that the 
Holy Ghost has come into the world. He still comes 
at the present time, and He will continue to come to 
the end of time. “Know you not,” says St. Paul to the 
Corinthians, who had received sanctifying grace in 
Baptism, “that you are the temple of God, and the 
Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (I Cor. iii, 16). Yes, 
when original sin was taken away from your souls in 
Holy Baptism, the Spirit of God Himself entered your 
souls with sanctifying grace and took up His abode 
within you. If you fell into mortal sin later on and 
were pardoned again by the absolution of the priest in 
Penance, or by an act of perfect contrition, the Holy 
Ghost was sent to you again to enrich your soul with 
sanctifying grace and to make your hearts His Taber¬ 
nacle. How wonderful! With sanctifying grace we 
receive not only a gift of the Holy Ghost, but the Holy 
Ghost Himself, so that He dwells in our hearts as in 
His temple. But we do not, of course, see Him coming, 
for all this takes place quietly and invisibly, but surely 
nevertheless. Remember then: The Holy Ghost is still 
sent at the present time in an invisible manner, as often 
as He enters with His sanctifying grace into our souls. 


THE HOLY GHOST IN THE SOUL 55 

m order to dwell there. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard; see the diagram below just above the 
synthesis.) 

2 . The tongues of fire that appeared over the heads 
of the disciples of Christ on Pentecost, were symbols 
of the Holy Ghost. They tell us what took place in the 
Apostles. But tell me first, how does fire work? Fire 
enlightens; fire purifies; fire warms; fire consumes. 
In a similar manner did the Holy Ghost work in the 
hearts of the Apostles. 

a) Fire enlightens. The Holy Ghost enlightened 
the Apostles. You know, that the Apostles were very 
simple, uneducated men; they had not learned much. 
They did indeed converse more than three years with 
Jesus, but often enough they did not understand the 
teachings of their Divine Master. Just one example. 
After the Last Supper, Jesus said in His wonderfully 
beautiful farewell speech: “In My Father's house there 
are many mansions, and I go to prepare a place for 
you. And whither I go you know, and the way you 
know." (John xiv, 2s). Then Thomas replied: “Lord 
we know not whither Thou goest, and how can we 
know the way?" (John xiv, 5). But Phillip said: 
“Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." 
Jesus said to him: “So long a time have I been with 
you, and you know not Me?" (John xiv, 9). Do you 
see? So hard of understanding were the disciples. 
And these ignorant Apostles were to teach all nations. 

Soon came the feast of Pentecost. All were filled 
with the Holy Ghost. Suddenly they were as changed 
men. At once they began to teach and to speak in 
strange tongues. Peter immediately preached an im¬ 
pressive sermon, so that the hearts of all were moved; 
and yet he had never learned how to preach. Do you 
see the light of the Holy Ghost? He enlightened the 
Apostles interiorly. But the eyes of the Jews were 
also opened; they recognized the truth and three 
thousand were baptized. The Holy Ghost enlightens 
the soul. (Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 


56 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


b) Fire purifies. Gold is purified in fire. The Holy 
Ghost purified and sanctified the Apostles. And that 
was necessary. The disciples always imagined and 
dreamed that Jesus would establish a great kingdom 
of the Jews. Each one wanted to be the first in the 
new kingdom of the Messias. They oftentimes quar¬ 
relled about that just as little children. And be¬ 
sides that they were still full of faults and weak¬ 
nesses and far from being holy. Just think of how 
deeply Peter fell. Thomas was filled with doubts and 
did not want to believe at all that Christ was arisen. 
Then the feast of Pentecost came and they were filled 
with the Holy Ghost. Suddenly everything was 
changed; no jealousy any more, no quarrelling, no un¬ 
kind conduct; they were made holy through the Holy 
Spirit. Now they followed Jesus faithfully, until they 
became perfect Saints in Heaven. The Holy Ghost 
sanctifies the soul, wherefore He is called the Sancti¬ 
fier. (Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 

c) Fire warms and strengthens. The Holy Ghost 
warmed and strengthened the Apostles interiorly. 
How so? Just recall the night of Jesus' Passion. Jesus 
was taken prisoner in the Garden of Olives and bound. 
Then the Apostles ran away for fear and terror. Only 
Peter followed at a distance. But what happened? 
But a few hours before he had sworn: “Lord, I am 
ready to go with Thee to death." And now he fears 
the talk of a maid-servant and denies his Divine Mas¬ 
ter three times in turn. What a coward! The next 
day Jesus was led away to death. And His disciples? 
All, even to John, deserted Him. They locked them¬ 
selves in a room for fear of the Jews. And these 
Apostles, as weak as reeds, were to conquer the world 
for Christ. They were to remain firm in every bat¬ 
tle and storm. 

But now just look at the Apostles on Pentecost. 
Unterrified and despising death they appeared be¬ 
fore the Jews, that had murdered God. Peter preached 
for them a severe sermon of condemnation: “You 


THE HOLY GHOST IN THE SOUL 57 

have crucified and killed Christ!” Not one of them 
knows fear any more; all are ready to die for Christ. 
The first one was James the Elder. He was attacked 
during a sermon. A Pharisee threw a rope about his 
neck and dragged him before King Herod. He wanted 
to do a favor to the Jews and spoke the death sentence. 
James spoke only the words: “Thanks be to God.” 
Soon the turn came to the others, too, to die; joyfully 
they all went to death. Whence did they get the 
strength ? The Holy Ghost strengthens the soul. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 

d) Fire consumes. The Holy Ghost consumed in 
the Apostles all sadness and comforted them. Jesus 
had foretold to His disciples: “I leave the world and 
go to the Father.” The disciples became very sad over 
that; they could not get rid of the gloomy thought: 
What is to happen to us when the Master is no longer 
with us? But Jesus foretold even more: “They will 
put you out of the synagogues; yea, the hour cometh, 
that whosoever killeth you, will think that he hath 
done a service to God” (John xvi, 2). That happened 
very soon. As upon the Divine Master so also upon His 
disciples all sorts of evils were inflicted. But in the 
midst of all their sufferings and trials they remained 
joyful and comforted. Yes, St. Paul once said: “I am 
filled with comfort; I exceedingly abound with joy in 
all our tribulation” (II Cor. vii, 4). Whence this com¬ 
fort and this joy? The Comforter was in their hearts; 
He changed sadness into consolation, sorrow into joy. 
The Holy Ghost comforts the soul, wherefore He is 
also called the Comforter. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard ). 

3. On Pentecost the Holy Ghost took His abode in 
the Apostles. How long did He remain with them? 
The Holy Ghost never left them; for they always re¬ 
mained in the grace and the love of God. As long as 
grace is in the soul, so long is the Holy Ghost in the 
soul. But it is also possible to drive out the Holy 
Ghost from the soul. Just one mortal sin and the Holy 


58 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

Ghost departs in sadness from the soul. What a 
change! What a misfortune! Therefore, we ought to 
fear mortal sin more than death. St. Paul once ad¬ 
monished the Christians of his time: “Extinguish not 
the Spirit.” (Thess. v, 19). And again: “Grieve not 
the Holy Spirit of God” (Eph. iv, 30). The Holy 
Ghost is grieved by every venial sin; He is extin¬ 
guished by every mortal sin. The Holy Ghost remains 
in the soul as long as the soul is free from any grievous 
sin. (Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 


Write on the blackboard: 

1. Holy Ghost comes and dwells in the soul invisibly 
—with sanctifying grace. 


2. Fire 

a) enlightens, 

b) purifies, 

c) warms, 

d) consumes, 


the Holy Ghost 

1) enlightens the soul; 

2) sanctifies the soul; 

3) strengthens the soul; 

4) comforts the soul. 


3. Mortal sin drives out the Holy Ghost from the 
soul. 


Synthesis. We owe all graces to Jesus and to the 
Holy Ghost. Here it is just like in a family. The 
father earns the daily bread for the children and the 
mother gives the bread to the children. Jesus earned 
all grace for us, the Holy Ghost distributes or dis¬ 
penses grace to us. Through whom are the fruits or 
the graces of the Divine Redemption dispensed? Is 
the Holy Ghost still sent to us at the present time? 
How does the Holy Ghost work in the soul? What 
graces does the Holy Ghost give to the soul? How 
long does the Holy Ghost remain in the soul? (Have 
the pupils read the answers from the blackboard . 
Assign the lesson for the next class ). 


THE HOLY GHOST IN THE SOUL 


59 


Application. 1. The Holy Ghost enlightens the soul . 
Before the class we invoked the Holy Ghost. Why? 
If the Holy Ghost helps us with His grace, it is much 
easier to learn. The Holy Ghost is really our teacher 
in religion. Without the Holy Ghost all my talking is 
fruitless. I can only teach you religion, but I cannot 
give you religion. Do you now see, how we all need 
the light of grace from the Holy Ghost ? In the church 
you see over the pulpit the dove as the symbol of the 
Holy Ghost. Each time before the sermon the priest 
calls upon the Holy Ghost. Why does he do that? With¬ 
out the Holy Ghost the word of God enters into the 
ears only, but not into the heart. But if the Holy Ghost 
co-operates, the sermon touches the heart of the peo¬ 
ple just as it did in the case of the Jews on Pentecost. 
What do we do each time before Confession ? We pray 
humbly for the light of grace from the Holy Ghost: 
“Come, Holy Ghost!” 

2. The Holy Ghost sanctifies the soul. When were 
you sanctified? In Baptism the Holy Ghost decorated 
you with the heavenly garment of sanctifying grace 
and raised you to the dignity of children of God; yes, 
He consecrated you to be His living temples. But per¬ 
haps you lost the life of grace. The Holy Ghost gave 
it to you again in the Sacrament of Penance. For it 
is He that purifies the heart from sins. He gave you 
your First Holy Communion and wants to give you 
the wonderful heavenly bread often, as often as pos¬ 
sible. The Holy Ghost wishes to make Saints of you. 
And if some day you do become Saints in Heaven, you 
must say: “Through the grace of the Holy Ghost I am, 
what I am.” Do you see? How much thanks do you 
not owe to the good Holy Spirit of God? 

3. The Holy Ghost strengthens the soul. How 
strong the Holy Ghost makes a person with His grace 
you see, especially in the Holy Martyrs. In Japan the 
Christians were once persecuted and tortured fright- 


60 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


fully. Many Christian children were commanded to 
sacrifice to the idols. They refused. The torturers 
pulled off the skin from the hands of these children be¬ 
fore the eyes of their parents and laid glowing coals on 
their little hands. The children remained steadfast, 
even a five year old child. A girl was about to be 
burned to death. She bowed down and laid fiery coals 
upon her head like a martyr's crown. Who made these 
weak children so strong? The Holy Ghost wants to 
make you strong also in the Sacrament of Confirma¬ 
tion. 

4. The Holy Ghost comforts the soul. Who needs 
the Holy Ghost, especially as a Comforter? The poor 
sick and old people. Life is full of suffering and woe. 
Each day has its trial. Did you, perhaps, also notice 
that? All will some time experience that. To be 
sick, poor, despised, tempted—that is not easy; then 
comfort and consolation are necessary. But the Holy 
Ghost can make everything easy for us. If He com¬ 
forts us, the bitter will become sweet for us and suf¬ 
fering a joy. St. Theresa prayed in her sufferings: 
“Oh God! more suffering, more suffering." Thus she 
could pray only in the Holy Ghost. Be sure not to for¬ 
get the Comforter! He is your best friend, but a much 
forgotten and misunderstood friend. 


LESSON VIII. 

Confirmation—A Sacrament. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) Who teaches us that the Sacrament of Confirma¬ 
tion was instituted by Christ? (Deharbe.) 

2) What is Confirmation? L. XV, Q. 166. 

3) Who is capable of receiving Confirmation ? (De¬ 
harbe) . 

4) Who administers Confirmation? L. XV, Q. 167. 


CONFIRMATION—A SACRAMENT 


61 


Preparation. Dear children, we have compared the 
Holy Ghost with the light of the sun. Light comes 
from the sun and the sun's rays. In a similar manner 
the Holy Ghost comes, or proceeds, from the Father and 
the Son from all eternity. The sun pours its rays over 
the earth. In a like manner the Holy Ghost pours the 
rays of His grace over the Church and into the hearts 
of men. Let us review this teaching. ( Question the 
pupils briefly on the foregoing lesson) . When was the 
first Holy Confirmation ? Pentecost was the first great 
day of Confirmation; the Apostles were the first ones 
to be confirmed. From whom did they receive Con¬ 
firmation? Before that they were as weak as reeds; 
after that strong as oaks (strong in the Faith and in 
the life of Faith). The Holy Ghost did that. Now, 
you already know what Confirmation is: Confirmation 
is the Sacrament which makes one strong through the 
Holy Ghost. To confirm means to make one strong. 
But I must tell you more about this. 

Aim. First I shall show you: Confirmation is a 
true Sacrament. There are Christians who do not be¬ 
lieve that—the Protestants. Luther invented this false 
Faith. He claimed: Confirmation is not a Sacra¬ 
ment. Let us see who is right. You have heard: The 
Holy Ghost teaches the Church. Through whom does 
the Holy Ghost teach in the Church? When the Pope 
and the Bishops come together and deliberate about 
matters of Faith, we have a council of the Church (a 
general council). Once there was a great council of 
the Church gathered at the city of Trent in southern 
Tyrol. Do you also know what a Father of the Church 
is? Fathers of the Church are learned and holy men, 
who lived in the early days of the Church; they have 
written splendid books about the Christian Faith. 
The Holy Ghost helped them to do that, by enlighten¬ 
ing their minds. Augustine and Jerome are Fathers 
of the Church. (The catechist might show the chil¬ 
dren a picture of a Father of the Church , over whose 
head the figure of a dove is hovering). 


62 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Presentation. It is now four hundred years since 
Luther began the dispute in the Church and led many 
astray in the Faith. The Holy Father wanted to re¬ 
store peace again and lead the strayed sheep back to 
the true Faith. Therefore, he called together a council 
of the Church at Trent. 

Let us now, in spirit, enter into a great hall. We 
find the delegates of the Pope and many Bishops gath¬ 
ered together, taking counsel on the questions, which 
are being disputed. They are just deliberating about 
Holy Confirmation—on the third of March, 1547. A 
big book lies open—the Sacred Scriptures or the Bible. 
Passages are read from it concerning Holy Confirma¬ 
tion. They are found in the Acts of the Apostles 
(viii, 14-17) : “Philip, (the deacon), going down to the 
city of Samaria, preached Christ unto them; he also 
cured many that were sick. Therefore, many believed 
in Christ and were baptized. There was, therefore, 
great joy in the city. Now when the Apostles, who 
were in Jerusalem, had heard that Samaria had re¬ 
ceived the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and 
John. And when they were come into the city, they 
prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy 
Ghost. For He was not yet come upon any of them; 
but they were only baptized in the name of the Lord 
Jesus. Then they laid their hands upon them, and 
they received the Holy Ghost.” 

All the Bishops heard what the Holy Scriptures nar¬ 
rate. But other books were also at hand—written by 
the Holy Fathers of the Church. These also were 
opened and passages read from them concerning what 
they had written of Holy Confirmation. Finally it was 
solemnly defined: “Confirmation is a true Sacrament 
of Jesus Christ. Only the Bishop has the power of con¬ 
firming. However, a priest may also confirm with the 
special power of the Pope.” Thereupon the Holy 
Father confirmed this teaching by his deciding word. 
Thus did the council of Trent proceed. 


CONFIRMATION—A SACRAMENT 


63 


Explanation. 1. You already know: Protestants 
believe in only two Sacraments—Baptism and the 
Lord's Supper. They do not want to have anything 
to do with the other five Sacraments. Luther rejected 
them. The Church could not tolerate that. So what 
happened? What did the council of Trent solemnly 
declare? Confirmation is a true Sacrament. Why is 
that the truth ? The Holy Ghost has spoken and taught 
through the council of the Church. He is the Spirit 
of truth. Jesus Himself has said so: “The Spirit of 
truth will teach you all truth” (John xvi, 13). There¬ 
fore the truth remains: Confirmation is a true Sacra¬ 
ment. The Church proposes that for our Faith; there¬ 
fore it is true. O Jesus, we believe, that Thou hast 
given us the Sacrament of Confirmation. We thank 
Thee for this gift of God. 

2. But the Church has also proven, that Confirma¬ 
tion is a Sacrament. Where is mention made of that? 
Peter and John undertook a journey into Samaria, in 
order to confirm. There they laid hands upon those 
that were baptized, and prayed over them and called 
down the Holy Ghost upon them. But, tell me, how 
came the Apostles to do that? Did they do that of 
themselves? That cannot be; it would have been 
without effect. Without a doubt Christ had solemnly 
commanded them: Impose hands upon those baptized 
and pray over them; then they will receive the Holy 
Ghost. 

In Bible History it is also narrated how St. Paul 
administerd Confirmation. In the course of his mis¬ 
sionary journeys he came into the city of Ephesus. 
There he found twelve men, who believed in Christ. 
He asked them: “Have you received the Holy 
Ghost since you believed?” He meant, are you 
baptized ? The men looked at him in surprise and said: 
“We have not so much as heard whether there be a 
Holy Ghost.” Paul was astonished, that Christians 
had not heard of the Holy Ghost, and asked them: 
“In what, then, were you baptized?” Now the truth 


64 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


came out. They replied: “In John's baptism." Is 
that the Christian Baptism? That was only the prep¬ 
aration for Christian Baptism. Then Paul taught 
them and baptized those that believed and imposed 
hands upon them. Then it is narrated expressly: 
“And when Paul had imposed hands upon them, the 
Holy Ghost came upon them" (Acts of Ap. xix, 6). 
That was Confirmation. 

Now you see, even more clearly, that the Church was 
right, when she taught: Confirmation is a true Sacra¬ 
ment. The teaching of the Church and the teaching of 
Holy Scripture agree perfectly; both teach the very 
same truth. 

3. Upon what else did the Church base her teach¬ 
ing concerning Confirmation ? The holy Father of the 
Church, Augustine, says expressly: “The Sacrament 
of Chrism (Confirmation) is just as holy as Baptism." 
Now surely Baptism is a true Sacrament. Then Con¬ 
firmation must also be a Sacrament. The holy Father 
of the Church, Jerome, once wrote: “Do you not know 
that it is the custom of the Church to impose hands 
upon those baptized, in order that thus the Holy Ghost 
might be called down? You ask where it is written? 
In the Acts of the Apostles. But even if Sacred 
Scripture supplied no authority (for the custom), the 
agreement of the whole world would give it the force 
of a command" (Dial, adv. Lucif. n. 9). 

There you see again: The holy Fathers , too, teach 
just as the Church and the Sacred Scriptures. The 
teaching of the Church, the teaching of the Bible and 
the teaching of the Fathers agree: Confirmation is a 
true Sacrament of Jesus Christ. Let us remember 
that. Who, then, instituted Confirmation? Our Lord 
Jesus Christ , has instituted Confirmation as the in¬ 
fallible Catholic Church teaches in accordance with the 
Holy Scriptures , and with the doctrine of the holy 
Fathers. (Repeat together; use the blackboard; see 
the diagram below just above the synthesis). 

4. Now tell me, how did Peter and John confirm? 


CONFIRMATION—A SACRAMENT 65 

Philip first baptized those that believed; then the 
Apostles laid hands upon those newly baptized and 
prayed over them—“and they received the Holy 
Ghost.” The laying on of hands and the prayer of the 
Apostles were things, that could be seen and heard. 
They were the outward signs of the Sacrament. (Later 
on was added the anointing with oil). Through that 
outward sign those baptized were made strong in the 
Christian Faith and the Christian life. The Holy 
Ghost made them perfect Christians and soldiers in 
the army of Jesus Christ. Let us remember this: 
Confirmation is a Sacrament, through which we 
receive the Holy Ghost to make us strong and 
perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ. 
( Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 5. Every one 
who is baptized is capable of receiving Confirmation. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard). 

6. The deacon Philip baptized the faithful in Sa¬ 
maria. Why did he not confirm them? He could not 
do that; he had no power for that. Only the Apostles 
could confirm, because they were Bishops. The holy 
council of the Church, the council of Trent, has de¬ 
clared expressly: “Only Bishops have the power to 
confirm.” In what case can a simple priest confirm? 
The council teaches further: “If the Pope grants him 
the power.” The Bishop is the ordinary minister of 
Confirmation. (Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 

Write on the blackboard : 

Confirmation—a Sacrament: 

1. Church, Holy Scriptures, holy Fathers—agree in 
this. 

2. Confirmation—Sacrament that makes us strong 
in the Holy Ghost; perfect Christians; soldiers of 
Jesus Christ. 

3. Baptized Christians—may be confirmed. 

4. Power of confirming—Bishops (priests—when?) 

Synthesis. Confirmation is a Sacrament of Jesus 


66 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Christ. That is absolutely certain. We just saw that. 
Who instituted the holy Sacrament of Confirmation? 
When did the Church solemnly define this teaching? 
What does the Bible say of Confirmation? What is 
Confirmation ? Who can be confirmed ? Who can con¬ 
firm? (Have the pupils read the answers from the 
Catechism and blackboard . Assign the lesson for the 
next class.) 

Application. 1. You know from history the Apostle 
of Germany, St. Boniface. The venerable Bishop was 
already seventy-five years old and still he would not 
allow himself any rest. Untiringly did he pursue his 
work of converting the heathen people of Frisia. On 
the solemn feast of Pentecost—on the fifth of June, 
755—he was about to administer Holy Confirmation 
to the newly converted in an open field. A horde of 
half-savage pagans attacked him; Boniface and fifty- 
two Christians were murdered. Do you see ? He died 
a Martyr for Holy Confirmation; with his blood he 
sealed this truth: Confirmation is a true Sacrament. 

2. In Samaria all were filled with joy, when Peter 
and John came to confirm. With what reverence must 
not those about to be confirmed have received the 
Apostles! Now the Bishops have the dignity of the 
Apostles. Soon our Right Reverend Chief Shepherd 
will come. That is a day of honor and a day of joy 
for the whole parish, but particularly for you, who are 
soon to be confirmed. The Bishop will impose hands 
upon you and pray for you, and you will receive the 
Holy Ghost. Rejoice and be glad! But prepare your¬ 
selves also for that event with all zeal. Pray from 
this day forward, each time that you visit the Blessed 
Sacrament, seven Our Fathers for the gifts of the 
Holy Ghost, and add this little petition: 

“Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest, 

And in our hearts take up Thy rest; 

Come with Thy grace and heavenly aid, 

To fill the hearts which Thou hast made.” 


THE RITE OF CONFIRMATION 


67 


LESSON IX. 

The Rite of Confirmation. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) What is holy chrism? L. XV, Q. 169. 

2) How does the Bishop give Confirmation ? L. XV, 

Q. 168. 

3) What does the Bishop say in anointing the per¬ 
son he confirms? L. XV, Q. 170. 

4) What is meant by anointing the forehead with 
chrism in the form of a cross? L. XV, Q. 171. 

5) Why does the Bishop give the person he confirms 
a slight blow on the cheek ? L. XV, Q. 172. 

Preparation. Dear children, in the old Christian 
ages the person baptized generally received three Sac¬ 
raments at once — Baptism, Confirmation and Com¬ 
munion. We read that in an old writing (of Tertullian) 
of the second century: “The flesh is washed off, in or¬ 
der that the soul may be cleansed; the flesh is over¬ 
shadowed by the imposition of hands, in order that the 
soul may be illuminated by the Holy Ghost; the flesh 
is fed with the Body and Blood of Christ, in order that 
the soul may be nourished by God” (De bap. c. 7). Do 
you see? Already then there was Confirmation. But 
the traces of Confirmation go back even farther—to 
the Apostles and Christ. How were the Apostles con¬ 
firmed? How did Peter and John confirm? How did 
St. Paul confirm?—( Question the pupils briefly on the 
preceding lesson ). 

Formerly this Sacrament was called “the imposi¬ 
tion of hands,” “the mystery of the Holy Ghost,” “the 
anointing” (or unction). Why these names? The 
Christians also said for short “chrism,” because the 
one to be confirmed was anointed with chrism. By 
chrism we understand a mixture of oil and balsam. 
Whence comes the oil? The balsam? The oil is made 
from pressed olives; the balsam is a resin of sweet 


68 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


odor, that flows from certain plants. Chrism is spe¬ 
cially consecrated by the Bishop on Holy Thursday. 
The consecration is particularly solemn. During the 
consecration of the chrism the Bishop and priests bend 
the knee and pray: “Hail, holy chrism !” Our Cate¬ 
chism says: Holy chrism is a mixture of olive oil and 
balsam consecrated by the Bishop. ( Repeat together; 
use the blackboard; see the diagram below just above 
the Explanation ). 

Aim. Now I am going to describe for you briefly: 
how the Bishop confirms — therefore , the rite of Con¬ 
firmation. 

Presentation. The priests receive the Bishop at the 
door of the church. The bells ring, the organ peals 
forth, the Bishop enters solemnly into the church. 
Meanwhile the choir sings: “Ecce sacerdos magnus— 
Behold the High Priest!” The priests accompany the 
Bishop to the high altar. There he clothes himself 
with the episcopal vestments. Then Holy Mass begins. 
The Mass is offered especially for those about to be 
confirmed. All ought, therefore, to unite themselves 
with the Bishop (or priest) and pray and sing like the 
Angels. (Often, however, the Bishop confirms in the 
afternoon or evening.) A short instruction on Con¬ 
firmation follows the Mass. They are the final words 
of counsel to those about to be confirmed. This is the 
preliminary ceremony . (Use the blackboard .) 

Now the principal ceremony begins. ( Use the black¬ 
board.) All that are about to be confirmed kneel down 
and fold their hands; for the Bishop solemnly invokes 
the Holy Ghost. He prays as follows: “May the Holy 
Ghost come down upon you and the power of the Most 
High preserve you from sins. Amen.” Then the 
Bishop extends his hands over those to be confirmed, 
and prays: “Let us pray! Almighty, eternal God, 
Thou hast in Thy grace regenerated these Thy serv¬ 
ants in water and the Holy Ghost, Thou hast given 
them remission of all sins: now pour forth over them 


69 


THE RITE OF CONFIRMATION 

Thy Holy Spirit, the Comforter, with His sevenfold 
gift. Amen. The Spirit of wisdom and understanding. 
Amen. The Spirit of counsel and fortitude. Amen. 
The Spirit of knowledge and piety. Amen. Fill them 
with the Spirit of Thy fear and sign them with the 
sign of the cross of Christ unto eternal life through 
our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who livest and reign- 
est in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, from eternity 
to eternity. Amen.” 

Now the great moment is come. The Bishop passes 
in turn from one to the other of those to be confirmed. 
The sponsor stands behind the person, for whom he is 
acting as sponsor, and places his right hand on the 
right shoulder of the one to be confirmed. But the 
Bishop lays his right hand on the head of the person 
he is confirming, anoints the forehead with holy 
chrism, and says: “Joseph (Mary), I sign thee with 
the sign of the cross, and I confirm thee with the 
chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, and of 
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Then the Bishop 
gives the person confirmed a slight blow on the cheek 
and says at the same time: “Peace be with thee.” At 
this moment the person confirmed receives the gift of 
Pentecost. 

But Confirmation is not over yet. After all the 
children have been confirmed, there follows a solemn 
concluding prayer. (The Bishop prays: “Confirm, 0 
Lord, what Thou hast effected in us from Thy holy 
temple, which is in Jerusalem. Glory be to the Father, 
etc. Let us pray! 0 God, Thou hast given to Thy 
Apostles the Holy Spirit, and hast willed, that through 
them and their successors the Holy Ghost should come 
down into the hearts of those, whose forehead we have 
anointed with holy chrism, and perfect them to become 
temples of Thy glory.”) Then the Bishop blesses those 
that have received Confirmation: “May the Lord bless 
you from Sion, so that you may see the blessings of 
Jerusalem all the days of your life, and have eternal 
life. Amen.” In gratitude all sing together solemnly: 


70 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

“Holy God, we praise Thy name!” This is the con¬ 
cluding ceremony. (Use the blackboard.) 

Write on the blackboard: 

1. Holy Chrism—olive oil and balsam. 

I. Preliminary ceremony 

1. Entry of the Bishop; 

2. Mass for those to be confirmed; 

3. Instruction on Confirmation. 

II. Principal ceremony 

4. Invocation of the Holy Ghost; 

5. Prayer for the seven gifts of the Spirit; 

6. Imposition of the hand, anointing with 
holy chrism, prayer, sign of the cross; 

7. Blow on the cheek. 

III. Concluding ceremony 

8. Concluding prayer and blessing; 

9. “Holy God.” 

Explanation. You do not, of course, as yet under¬ 
stand everything perfectly. I must explain for you 
some points a little more in detail. 

1. When Peter and John made their first journey 
into Samaria to confirm, “they prayed over the faith¬ 
ful, that they might receive the Holy Ghost.” The 
Bishop still does the same thing. Extending his hands 
over those about to be confirmed, he prays, in order 
that they may receive the Holy Ghost. How does he 
pray? “May the Holy Spirit descend upon you.” What 
else does the Bishop pray for especially? The seven 
gifts of the Holy Ghost are a Confirmation gift from 
the Holy Ghost. This invocation of the Holy Ghost is 
the preliminary ceremony. Our Catechism says: The 
Bishop extends his hands over those who are to be 
confirmed, and prays that they may receive the Holy 
Ghost. ( Repeat together; use the blackboard; see 
below just above the synthesis). 


THE RITE OF CONFIRMATION 


71 


2. Now occurs the act of Confirmation, properly so 
called. The Bishop lays his right hand on the head of 
the one to be confirmed. What is the meaning of this 
ceremony? On Pentecost fiery tongues were seen 
floating over the heads of Christ's disciples. At that 
moment the Apostles were filled with the Holy Ghost. 
Now the hand of the Bishop rests over the head of 
each one to be confirmed. At that moment the pow¬ 
er of the Holy Spirit streams into the soul of the per¬ 
son confirmed. The imposition of the hand , there¬ 
fore, signifies the conferring, or the giving, of the 
Holy Ghost. ( Use the blackboard). 

3. While the Bishop imposes his hand, as our Cate¬ 
chism says, he anoints the forehead of each one with 
holy chrism. (Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 
This ceremony has a beautiful meaning. There is oil 
in the chrism. Oil is a symbol of power and strength. 
It spreads itself readily and penetrates the body, mak¬ 
ing it soft and flexible, and easy to move. In the old 
days oil was much used by athletes in preparing them¬ 
selves for the conflict, which was to secure for them 
the coveted prize. Hence it is a perfect image of the 
grace conferred in Confirmation, which prepares the 
Christian athlete for a contest, the prize of which is 
life eternal. Consequently the one to be confirmed is 
anointed with oil, in order that he may be made strong, 
confirmed, interiorly in the Holy Ghost. Therefore, 
the Bishop says: “I confirm (strengthen) thee with 
the chrism of salvation." In the chrism there is also 
balsam. That, too, has its meaning. Balsam protects 
against corruption; therefore, formerly people liked 
to embalm corpses, so that they would be preserved 
against corruption. Hence balsam symbolizes the 
grace of Confirmation. The soul of the person con¬ 
firmed ought to remain preserved from the corruption 
of sin; for sin grieves the Holy Ghost and drives Him 
from the soul. Balsam is also fragrant, emits a pleas¬ 
ing odor. Thus, too, ought the soul of the one con¬ 
firmed to be fragrant, virtuous, so that God and men 


72 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


may be pleased with it, so that it may become “the 
good odor of Christ unto God” ( Use the blackboard). 

4. The Bishop anoints the forehead of each one with 
holy chrism —in the form of a cross. What words 
does he say at the same time? “I sign thee with the 
sign of the cross.” The sign of the cross is signifi¬ 
cant. The soldier carries the insignia of his regi¬ 
ment on his helmet, or cap. By it one knows at once 
that he is in the service of his country. The sign of 
the cross on the forehead of the one confirmed tells 
us: Thou art in the service of the Most High King, of 
the Crucified; thou art a soldier of Christ. The sol¬ 
dier is proud of the insignia of his country. So, too, 
the person confirmed ought never to be ashamed of 
the cross. The one confirmed ought to consider it a 
matter of honor and conscience, to profess always and 
everywhere without fear his Faith in Jesus Christ, 
the Crucified One. For to be a good Christian and to 
openly profess one's Faith—that is not a disgrace; but 
it is a disgrace to be ashamed of one's Faith. Remem¬ 
ber then: By anointing the forehead with chrism in 
the form of a cross, is meant, that the Christian who 
is confirmed must openly profess and practise his* 
Faith, never be ashamed of it, and rather die than deny 
it. ( Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 

5. Now, let us repeat together the entire answer as 
it is in our Catechism: In anointing the person he 
confirms the Bishop says: I sign thee with the sign of 
the cross, and I confirm thee with the chrism of sal- 1 
vation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
of the Holy Ghost. 

6. It will perhaps seem strange to you, that the 
Bishop should give a blow on the cheek to the one he 
has confirmed. You know, that when Jesus stood be¬ 
fore the High Court, a servant gave Him a blow on 
the cheek. Christ could, with one word, yes, with a 
breath of His mouth, have struck this bold man to the 
earth. But no, patiently He bore this shocking insult. 
The blow on the cheek at Confirmation is to remind 


73 


THE RITE OF CONFIRMATION 

you of this. It should be for the person confirmed a 
reminder: For love of Jesus, for His name's sake, you 
ought patiently to bear all insults, yes even death it¬ 
self. The Bishop gives the person he confirms a slight 
blow on the cheek, to put him in mind that he must; 
be ready to suffer everything, even death, for the sake 
of Christ. ( Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 

WHte on the blackboard : 

1. Bishop extends his hands—prays for the descent 
of the Holy Ghost. 

2. Imposition of the hand—giving the Spirit. 

3. Anointing 

oil—strength; 
balsam—virtues. 

4. Sign of the cross—profess Faith in Christ. 

5. Blow on the cheek—bear everything for Christ. 

Synthesis. Now you know the rite of Confirma¬ 
tion, and you also understand the meaning of the 
ceremonies. How does the Bishop confirm? What is 
the meaning of the imposing of the hand? Of the 
unction? What is the meaning of the olive oil? Of 
the balsam? Why does the Bishop make the sign 
of the cross on the forehead of the person he confirms ? 
Why does the Bishop give a slight blow on the cheek 
of the one he has confirmed? ( Have the pupils read 
the answers from the Catechism and the blackboard. 
Assign the lesson for the next class ). 

Application. 1. In some places it is customary to 
bum seven candles on the altar during the entire cele¬ 
bration of Confirmation. Do you understand the mean¬ 
ing? They symbolize the seven gifts of the Holy 
Ghost.- The person to be confirmed ought to pray fer¬ 
vently for the gift of Pentecost before the reception 
of the Sacrament and ought to give heartfelt thanks 
after he has been confirmed. 

2. While the Bishop is confirming, the sponsor places 
his hand on the shoulder of the one to be confirmed. 


74 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Do you know why? The sponsor says, as it were: I 
will interest myself in this child and look upon him as 
my own; he is to be my ward, and I will be for him a 
visible Guardian Angel. I will see to it, that he al¬ 
ways remains a good Catholic Christian. If he should 
decline to evil ways, I will lead him back again to the 
right path. From this it follows evidently, who can act 
as sponsor. Tell me: Who can be a sponsor? The 
sponsor must be a good Catholic. For a bad Catholic 
cannot see to it, that the person confirmed remains a 
good Catholic. The sponsor of Confirmation does not 
need to be rich; for the present, that he gives on that 
occasion, is only a secondary matter. The most beau¬ 
tiful Confirmation present you receive from the Holy 
Ghost. Only be careful, that the Holy Ghost will be 
able to give you His gifts most abundantly; prepare 
well for your Pentecost. 


LESSON X. 

The Graces of Confirmation. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) Which are the effects of Confirmation? L. XVI, 
Q. 176. 

2) What is the character which Confirmation im¬ 
prints in the soul? L. XIII, Q. 150. 

3) Can we receive Confirmation more than once? 
L. XIII, Q. 149. 

4) Why can we not receive Confirmation more than 
once? L. XIII, Q. 148. 

5) Does this character remain in the soul even after 
death? L. XIII, Q. 151. 

6) Is it a sin to neglect Confirmation? L. XV, Q. 
175. 

Preparation. Dear children, the ceremonies of 
Confirmation are full of meaning. Let us review 


THE GRACES OF CONFIRMATION 75 

them. How does the Bishop confirm? What is the 
meaning of the imposition of hands?—of the unction? 
—the blow on the cheek? ( Question the pupils brief¬ 
ly on the preceding lesson) . The imposing of the 
hand and the unction tell you what Confirmation ef¬ 
fects. 

But I must still instruct you better about the graces 
of Confirmation. But tell me first: Which Sacraments 
have you already received?—In what does the grace 
of the Sacrament of Baptism consist?—the graces 
of Confession?—of Communion?—Which Sacraments 
can one receive only once?—Whoever in Baptism re¬ 
ceives the dignity of a Christian, remains a Christian 
forever; for the character of Baptism is indelible. 
Whoever has been ordained a priest, remains a priest 
forever; for the character of the priesthood is also 
indelible. In like manner the character of Confirma¬ 
tion is indelible in the soul. 

Aim. Now listen to what graces the Holy Ghost 
gives you in Confirmation . First I am going to tell 
you about a heroic Christian child. 

Presentation. In the early ages of Christianity the 
Christians were persecuted terribly. Thousands and 
thousands died for their holy Faith. The last great 
persecution occurred under the Emperor Diocletian. 

At that time there lived in the Holy Land a twelve 
year old girl, named Aquilina. Immediately after 
Baptism she received Confirmation. Like a grow¬ 
ing flower she bloomed and became strong in the 
Faith and the love of God. To all she gave the 
best example by her pious and virtuous life. But it 
caused her deep sorrow, because so many heathen 
children knew nothing of God. Therefore she told 
them gladly about Jesus. Thus she won many for the 
Christian Faith. 

The heathen judge heard about it. At once he had 
her called before his tribunal and commanded her, 
saying: “You have persuaded many girls and seduced 


76 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


them, so that they no longer believe in the gods, but 
rather adore the crucified Christ. Do you not know 
what the Emperor has forbidden? All are to die, who 
believe in Christ and honor the cross! Therefore re¬ 
nounce your Faith and adore the gods. If you do not 
obey, you will feel my anger.” Unterrified Aquilina 
answered: “Mighty judge! you are indeed able to 
have me tortured. But I do not fear that; I will re¬ 
ceive a beautiful heavenly crown for that.” A few 
blows in the face were the answer she received. Firm¬ 
ly and earnestly the little heroine replied: “I am God's 
image and you strike me? Take care, what will hap¬ 
pen to you on the day of judgment!” For that the 
heroic little girl was scourged twice on her body in a 
bloody manner. However, her courage was not broken. 
She said: “The more you strike me, the more does the 
Holy Ghost strengthen me.” The judge was perplexed 
and said: “I will give you one more day of grace; you 
can think it over.” Aquilina, however, answered: “I 
have nothing to think over. I will remain faithful 
to my Lord and my God; I am ready to die.” 

Then the judge spoke the death sentence. While 
dying the young martyr prayed: “My God, I thank 
Thee, that Thou hast not permitted me to be defeated 
in the battle.” Then she breathed forth her holy soul 
—on the thirteenth of June, 290. 

Explanation. 1. a) Already as a child Aquilina had 
received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. What oc- 
cured then in her soul ? The Holy Ghost purified her 
soul and clothed it with the heavenly garment of sanc¬ 
tifying grace. Thereby her soul became wonderfully 
beautiful. Just think of Jesus on Mount Thabor. Then 
suddenly a ray of His Divinity shone through His 
Sacred Body and Jesus was all transfigured. So Aqui- 
lina's soul was as though transfigured after Holy Bap¬ 
tism, surrounded by a heavenly splendor of light. No 
man saw it. But God saw it and rejoiced, for in her 
soul there was reflected His image and likeness. 


77 


THE GRACES OF CONFIRMATION 

Aquilina received also a second Sacrament immedi¬ 
ately after Baptism—Holy Confirmation. Such for¬ 
merly was the custom. What took place then in her 
soul?—The Holy Ghost made her soul even more beau¬ 
tiful; grace was increased in her soul; God's image 
and likeness was reflected in it even more beautifully. 
That is the first thing, that Confirmation effects in the 
soul: it increases sanctifying grace. ( Repeat together; 
use the blackboard; see the diagram below just above 
the synthesis.) 

b) Aquilina gradually grew up. The bigger she 
became, the stronger did she become in the Faith. She 
loved to tell others about Jesus and did her level best 
to make them embrace the Faith of Jesus. She did not 
fear the laws of the Emperor nor the threats of the 
heathen judge. When she stood before the judge, who 
commanded her to deny the Faith, what answer did 
she give?—“I will remain faithful to my Lord and my 
God. I am ready to die." Do you see how strong she 
was in the holy Faith?—Whence did she get that 
strength?—The Holy Ghost gave it to her, especially 
in Holy Confirmation. That is the second effect of 
Confirmation in the soul: it strengthens the Faith. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

c) But there are many other precious gifts, which 
the Holy Ghost gave to Aquilina in Holy Confirmation. 
Let us look at them a little more closely. 

The little girl became more and more virtuous from 
day to day. Her heart was like a growing flower, that 
breathes forth its sweet perfume more and more. She 
had a real relish for the things of God; she despised 
the things of earth and directed her entire life to God 
and Heaven. She was truly wise. 

Aquilina was a mere child; and yet, she understood 
her religion very well. Yes, she was able to explain 
even the deepest mysteries of her holy Faith to the 
other children and lead them to embrace the true 
Faith. The Holy Ghost gave her understanding. 


78 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

When the heathen judge tried to make her renounce 
the Faith of Christ, by promising her all that her 
heart might desire, Aquilina saw at once the foolish¬ 
ness of it all. Her conscience warned her of the de¬ 
ceits of the devil and of the dangers to salvation. The 
Spirit of God had given to her the precious gift of 
counsel• 

She remained steadfast in the Faith. All the threats 
of the judge were in vain. Even under the cruel blows 
of her persecutors this little Christian heroine did not 
waver in her Faith. On the contrary her Faith be¬ 
came all the stronger. She was ready even to lay 
down her life. So young, and yet to die! Do you see 
how courageous she was in the Faith? The Holy 
Ghost gave her the gift of fortitude. 

When things go wrong with us, when we have to 
suffer all sorts of trials, how hard it is for us to see 
that it is God's will ?—Aquilina was a mere child; she 
had to endure frightful sufferings at the hands of the 
heathen judge. Would you not think, that she would 
complain and say: “Why does God allow all this to 
happen to me?" But no, the Holy Ghost had given to 
her a heavenly gift, the gift of knowledge , and so she 
was able to discover the will of God in all that hap¬ 
pened to her. 

From the first moment that she came to the use of 
her reason this little girl loved God as a Father and 
obeyed Him in all things, because she loved Him with 
all her heart. The Holy Ghost was in her pure soul 
leading her to love God and to rejoice in doing the will 
of God for love of Him. He gave her the gift of piety. 

Finally Aquilina feared nothing as much as sin. 
Therefore when the judge tried to lead her into sin by 
asking her to deny the Faith, she answered quickly 
and courageously: “I have nothing to consider; I will 
remain faithful to my Lord and my God; I am ready 
to die." Do you see? She was filled with a dread of 
sin. The Holy Ghost gave her the gift of fear of the 
Lord . 


THE GRACES OF CONFIRMATION 79 

Therefore the third effect of Holy Confirmation are 
the gifts of the Holy Ghost. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard.) 

Now let us repeat together the entire answer of our 
Catechism. The effects of Confirmation are an increase 
of sanctifying grace, the strengthening of our Faith, 
and the gifts of the Holy Ghost. 

2. A person, who has been confirmed, must fight 
against all evil and struggle for the good; for he is a 
soldier of Christ. The cross on his forehead tells him 
that. But while the Bishop is making the sign of the 
cross on that person’s forehead, the Holy Ghost is 
impressing the sign of Confirmation on his soul. It is 
a spiritual mark, and is impressed in such a way, that 
it can never be effaced; it is indelible. The character 
which the Sacrament imprints in the soul is a spiritual 
mark which remains forever. (Repeat together; use 
the blackboard.) 

3. Therefore whoever has been confirmed, remains 
confirmed forever. That mark, or character, will never 
be effaced. That is the reason, why we can receive 
this Holy Sacrament but once in a life-time. We can¬ 
not receive Confirmation more than once, because it 
imprints a character in the soul. (Repeat together; 
use the blackboard.) 

4. If the person, who has been confirmed, is a faith¬ 
ful soldier of Christ like our little Aquilina, the char¬ 
acter of Confirmation will some day be for him a glori¬ 
ous sign of honor in Heaven. But if that person be¬ 
comes unfaithful to Christ, the sign of Confirmation 
will be for him some day an eternal sign of shame and 
disgrace in Hell. This character remains in the soul 
even after death: for the honor and glory of those that 
are saved; for the shame and disgrace of those who are 
lost. (Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

5. In the early Christian days the Christians had to 
endure many temptations against the Faith; yes, they 
were even exposed to the danger of losing their life for 
the sake of the Faith. We see that in the case of little 


80 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

Aquilina. But matters are not much better in our 
own days. We all are surrounded by many tempta¬ 
tions, yes violent temptations against our holy Faith 
and our virtues. We need special strength, if we are 
to remain good and holy, practical Catholics. You can 
easily understand, then, that it is a sin to neglect Con¬ 
firmation, especially in these evil days, when Faith and 
morals are exposed to so many and such violent temp¬ 
tations. ( Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

Write on the blackboard: 

1. The graces of Confirmation: 

a) increase of sanctifying grace; 

b) strengthening of the Faith; 

c) the gifts of the Holy Ghost; 

d) character of Confirmation (2)—a spiritual 

mark, indelible—hence Confirmation can 
be received only once (3)—for the glory 
of the blessed: the shame of the wicked 
forever (4). 

5. Obligation—to be confirmed. 

Synthesis. The Holy Ghost effects great things in 
the soul of the person confirmed. Show me that again 
in the case of Aquilina.—What are the effects of Con¬ 
firmation?—Why can Confirmation be received but 
once in a life-time?—What kind of a mark does it 
impress on the soul?—Does this mark remain even 
after death?—Why?—What then is Confirmation?— 
In short you can remember it in this way: Confirma¬ 
tion is the Sacrament, which makes us strong in the 
Faith and Christian life. Because the Holy Ghost is 
especially active in this Sacrament, Confirmation is 
called “the Sacrament of the Holy Ghost.” (Have the 
pupils read the answers from the Catechism. Assign 
the lesson for the next class.) 

Application. 1. In Baptism you were regenerated 
from water and the Holy Ghost. Very beautifully 
does St. Paul say: The baptized person becomes “a 


THE GRACES OF CONFIRMATION 


81 


temple of God, and the Holy Ghost dwells in him” 
(I Cor. iii, 16). But if the Holy Ghost is already with 
you since your Holy Baptism, how can He come again 
in Confirmation?—I might answer: Now the Holy 
Ghost still slumbers, as it were, within you; but in 
Confirmation He really becomes active. The person, 
who is confirmed, is filled with the Holy Ghost. Bap¬ 
tism makes one a Christian, Confirmation perfects the 
Christian. At Baptism the Holy Ghost places the 
seed of Faith in the soul, at Confirmation He makes 
the soul strong in the Faith. The Holy Fathers of the 
Church say: The person, who is baptized, is like a 
child in the Faith, but the person, who is confirmed, is 
like a man. 

2. But perhaps one of you might think: “Why after 
all is Confirmation ? I do not have to die for the Faith 
like Aquilina! Neither will I be scourged.” That may 
be so. But every Christian must fight. You will not 
be spared that. The wicked children of the world will 
ridicule you, because of the Faith and your pious life. 
They will try to seduce you and say: “Surely you will 
not believe all that the priests say! Oh! this or that is 
not a sin; others do it too. And then after all you can 
confess it again.” Hence it is a question of remaining 
steadfast and firm in the Faith and of living a perfect 
Christian life. You may not allow others to seduce 
you nor may you fear the ridicule of other people. 
What of it, if they do laugh at you and make fun of 
you ? St. Augustine once said: “Think and say of me 
what you will, if only I please God.” To fear men is 
foolish. Why? You are not made any better, if men 
praise you, neither are you made worse, if they blame 
you (Imitation of Christ). The soldier of Christ 
ought to fear but one thing—sin. The Holy Ghost 
strengthens you, so that you may be able to do that. 
Therefore keep your hearts prepared for Holy Con¬ 
firmation ! 


82 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


LESSON XI. 

The Gifts of the Holy Ghost. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) Why do we receive the gift of Wisdom? 

L. XVI, Q. 184. 

2) Why do we receive the gift of Understanding ? 

L. XVI, Q. 183. 

3) Why do we receive the gift of Counsel ? 

L. XVI, Q. 182. 

4) Why do we receive the gift of Fortitude ? 

L. XVI, Q. 181. 

5) Why do we receive the gift of Knowledge ? 

L. XVI, Q. 180. 

6) Why do we receive the gift of Piety ? 

L. XVI, Q. 179. 

7) Why do we receive the gift of Fear of the Lord? 

L. XVI, Q. 178. 

8) Which are the gifts of the Holy Ghost ? 

L. XVI, Q. 177. 

Preparation. Dear children, I have already showed 
you, that the Holy Ghost does not enter into the soul 
with empty hands. He brings with Him many beautiful 
things; they are the graces, which shine in the soul 
like so many precious jewels: the graces of Holy Con¬ 
firmation. Let us review this teaching. ( Question 
the pupils briefly on the foregoing lesson .)—Did you 
ever observe a rainbow? The rays of the sun are 
reflected in the rainbow in seven colors. Thus also 
do the rays of the grace of the Holy Ghost shine forth 
in the soul in a sevenfold manner. There are seven 
gifts of the Holy Ghost. 

Aim. These seven gifts of the Holy Ghost I am go - 
ing to explain to you briefly today. 


THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST 83 

Now it is necessary for you to think a little, so that 
you may understand all correctly. Therefore, atten¬ 
tion! 


Presentation, Explanation, Application. 

I. The Gift of Wisdom. 

1. You know the story of the rich man. He clothed 
himself in purple and fine linen; he also feasted daily 
in a sumptuous manner. Outside before the door of 
his house lay the poor man, Lazarus, miserable and 
abandoned and all covered with sores. No one gave 
him even a little piece of bread. But what happened? 
—The rich man had to die and—was buried in Hell. 
The poor man also died and the angels carried him up 
into Heaven. 

2. Now tell me: Which of these two was prudent? 
Who was wise?—The rich man simply took things 
easily upon this earth. To eat and drink and to enjoy 
himself, as though every day were a wedding-day, that 
was his life's work. He thought only of the earthly 
and did not trouble himself about the heavenly things. 
He had no taste, no relish for the things of God; he 
directed his whole life to his own honor and glory. 
And the reward for his life of sin?—To seek only sin¬ 
ful earthly pleasures and thereby lose Heaven, what 
foolishness! 

But Lazarus was entirely different. He was poor, 
but pious. He bore his hard life patiently. He thought 
to himself: God knows all and God wills all. God will 
reward me for this! He despised the foolish pleasures 
of earth; he had no taste for them; all his thoughts 
and desires were directed to God and Heaven. He had 
the gift of Wisdom; that is true Wisdom. We receive 
the gift of Wisdom to give us a relish for the things of 
God, and to direct our whole life and all our actions to 
His honor and glory. ( Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board; see the diagram below just above the synthesis .) 


84 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

This Wisdom is a gift of the Holy Ghost.—You know, 
that the eagle builds his nest on the dizzy mountain 
heights; there he likes to be. On the contrary, the 
sparrow prefers to sport on the ground; to wallow in 
the filth, that is pleasure for him. The wise man is 
like the eagle: he directs his eyes and heart heaven¬ 
wards. Foolish worldlings feel content in the filth of 
the earth. 

3. How do matters stand with you? Are you truly 
wise? Which do you prefer: the joys of earth or the 
joys of Heaven? Many children are like the butter¬ 
flies, that sip and pilfer in all flowers. They want to 
have a share in everything and be everywhere, to see 
everything, and hear everything, and enjoy every¬ 
thing. That is not a good beginning and will not have 
a good ending. Do you also want to act like that? 
No; live for God and strive for Heaven! Holy 
Ghost, give me Wisdom, that I may despise the things 
of earth and strive for the things of God and Heaven! 

II. The Gift of Understanding . 

1. This gift you already know from the Apostles. 
They were ignorant and uncultured men. Then the 
Holy Ghost came upon them. Suddenly a heavenly 
light entered into their souls. Now they understood 
all that Jesus had taught, and they recalled everything, 
as Jesus had foretold they would: “The Holy Ghost 
will teach you all things, and will bring all things to 
your minds, whatsoever I shall have said to you” 
(John xiv, 26). Now it was an easy matter for them 
to teach the nations; for they knew more clearly the 
mysteries of Faith. That is the gift of Understanding. 
—We receive the gift of Understanding to enable us to 
know more clearly the mysteries of Faith. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard.) 

2. Many a simple man among the ordinary people 
can speak about the mysteries of religion like a book. 
Oftentimes a child is wiser in religion than a learned, 


THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST 


85 


educated person. Such persons have the gift of Under¬ 
standing from the Holy Ghost. St. Catherine was 
only eighteen years of age. She was accused of being 
a Christian and brought before the court. Fifty learn¬ 
ed heathens wanted to dispute with her about religion. 
However, the virgin spoke so beautifully about the 
mysteries of the Christian Faith, that all declared: 
“Catherine is wiser than all of us together; she has 
the truth. We too are Christians. ,, And all died for 
the Christian Faith. 

3. With many children it is a difficult matter to 
learn; nothing wants to enter into their head. What 
ought such a child to do?—Each time before studying 
pray briefly to the Holy Ghost: Come, Holy Ghost, 
help me to understand! You will see, that soon things 
will go much more easily. 

III. The Gift of Counsel. 

1. A little girl, whose name was Agnes, had just 
reached her fifth birthday, and her mother invited 
some friends to come and dine with them in honor of 
the happy occasion. Agnes' grandfather was present 
also; and when the little child ran forward to meet 
him, he put a gold coin into her hand as his gift. As 
may well be imagined Agnes was filled with joy, when 
she saw the shining gold and knew it was all her own. 
She showed it to everyone that came to the house. 
While her parents were at dinner, Agnes left the 
house to amuse herself at the door of the house. Just 
then a country woman happened along carrying a 
basketful of fruit. Agnes ran toward her and cried 
out: “Look here! look at this beautiful piece of 
money." The woman took the coin into her hand, and 
seeing that it was gold, said to the child: “Yes, it is 
indeed beautiful. I will give you this large red¬ 
cheeked apple, if you will give me your little piece of 
money." The child took the apple; it was very pretty. 
“Yes," she answered, “I will give you the money in 


86 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


exchange for the apple.” When the woman had re¬ 
ceived the money, she went away at once, and was 
seen no more. Agnes after admiring the fruit for a 
few moments, thought that she would run and show it 
to her mother. “Look mother!” she said, “look at this 
beautiful apple.” “Where did you get that apple, my 
child ?” “Oh! a good woman was passing and gave it 
to me for the gold coin. Is it not lovely?” When her 
mother had heard that, she became very angry and 
her father gave her a severe scolding. But the grand¬ 
father said: “Do not find fault with the child, for she 
did not know what she was doing. She did not under¬ 
stand the value of the piece of money, and it was quite 
natural for her to give it away for that beautiful 
apple, which she considered to be more valuable.” 

2. Do you understand the meaning of this story?— 
That gold coin is a picture of the precious treasure of 
Heaven. The old woman, that deceived the little child, 
is a picture of the devil, who holds out to us the pleas¬ 
ures and riches of the world. He asks us to give up 
the thought of Heaven and the other life and to enjoy 
the miserable things of this life—to sell the joys of 
Heaven for the miserable things of earth. Yes, we 
need some one to warn us of the deceits of the devil, 
and of the dangers to salvation. We need good advice, 
good counsel. The Holy Ghost is our Counsellor 
through His gift of Counsel.—We receive the gift of 
Counsel to warn us of the deceits of the devil, and of 
the dangers to salvation. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard.) 

3. Dear children, people often say: “Now good ad¬ 
vice, or counsel, is expensive; what shall I do?” Yes, 
with men it is indeed expensive; but with God—no! 
The Holy Ghost can give it to us very cheaply. Only 
pray with all your heart and He will surely give you 
the proper advice or counsel. The devil often changes 
himself into an angel of light, as the Apostle tells us, 
in order to deceive us. We need the gift of Counsel, 
in order that we may not be led astray. But the 


THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST 87 

people of the world ask many questions and complain 
much; but they never think of the Holy Ghost. Do 
you also want to be so foolish? If you ever need good 
advice, first go to the Holy Ghost; for He is the very 
best Counsellor. “Who shall know Thy thought (0 
God), except Thou give wisdom, and send Thy Holy 
Spirit from above,—and so men may learn the things 
that please Thee?” (Wisdom ix, 17s.) 


IV. The Gift of Fortitude. 

1. 2. Scarcely had the Apostles received the gift of 
Pentecost, when they were like changed men. Before 
that they were so weak, now they were strong, pre¬ 
pared even to die. The High Council forbade them to 
preach. Earnestly and firmly Peter answered: “We 
must obey God more than men!” The Apostles were 
despised, ridiculed, persecuted, cast into prison; but 
nothing was able to frighten or deter them. So strong 
were they by the Holy Ghost. He gave them the gift 
of Fortitude. — We receive the gift of Fortitude to 
strengthen us to do the will of God in all things. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

37Do you know another example?—The Machabean 
brothers and their mother, St. John Nepomucene, St. 
Lawrence.—When St. Augustine wanted to be con¬ 
verted, he always doubted as to whether he would 
really be able to become a good Christian. Then he 
heard an interior voice: “What! others have been able 
to do it, and became holy; why should you not be able 
to do it?” And he did become holy through the Holy 
Ghost.—The gift of Fortitude every Christian needs; 
for the life of a Christian is a life of sacrifice. The 
true Christian must bear and suffer many a thing. To 
do that he needs power and fortitude from above; then 
everything goes well. With St. Paul we can say: “I 
can do all things in Him, that strengtheneth me.” 
(Phil, iv, 13.) 


88 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 
V. The Gift of Knowledge. 


1. 2. Recall the story of the pious and patient Job. 
He was wealthy and happy and esteemed by all that 
knew him. The Lord permitted Satan to tempt this 
virtuous man. Suddenly and without warning mes¬ 
sengers came to announce, that all his possessions had 
been destroyed, that his sons and daughters had been 
killed. Did Job perhaps complain: “Why must all this 
misfortune come upon me?” No, falling down upon 
his knees he worshipped God, saying: “The Lord hath 
given and the Lord hath taken away. As it hath 
pleased the Lord, so be it done. Blessed be the name 
of the Lord!” Do you see? Job did not, of course, 
understand why all this misfortune befell him; never¬ 
theless he believed, that it happened according to the 
will of God. Thereupon Satan struck Job with a most 
grievous ulcer from the sole of his foot even to the top 
of his head. As he sat upon a dung-hill bemoaning 
his misery, his wife came to mock him, saying: “Bless 
God and die!” Did Job perhaps turn his gaze away 
from the Lord and say: “Why must all this happen to 
me?” No, instead of complaining foolishly against 
the Lord, Job said: “If we have received good things 
at the hand of God, why should we not receive evil?”— 
He meant to say: God permits all this. It happens by 
His will. Blessed be the will of God!—When his three 
friends came to visit him, instead of comforting him, 
they reproached him saying that secretly he must have 
been a great sinner, or the just God would not have 
afflicted him in so grievous a manner. How that must 
have hurt the feelings of Job! But loudly and firmly 
asserting his innocence, Job said: “I know that my 
Redeemer liveth; and in the last day I shall rise out 
of the earth; and I shall be clothed again in my skin, 
and in my flesh I shall see my God.” That is to say: 
Even though I have to die now in misery and mis¬ 
understood by others, still I will not lose my trust in 
God. All things happen according to His holy will.— 


THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST 


89 


Dear children, Job must have had a special teacher to 
enlighten his mind, so that in sickness and in misery 
and in false accusation he might be able to see that 
whatever happened to him took place according to the 
will of the Lord. Yes, the Holy Ghost was his Teacher. 
He gave to Job the gift of Knowledge.—We receive the 
gift of Knowledge to enable us to discover the will of 
/God in all things. ( Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board.) 

3. There are people, that look upon everything, war, 
misfortune, etc., as chance. But the soul, that is 
taught by the Holy Spirit, sees at once: This is not 
chance. No, everything that happens in the world is 
directed by a wise God and leads us to God. Such a 
soul sees why and wherefore this was done by God, 
namely as a punishment for sin—as a test, or as a 
reward for patience—as an answer to prayer, etc. St. 
Gertrude was accustomed to repeat 363 times each 
day: “O my loving Jesus, Thy will be doner Let us 
resolve to say frequently each day: “Not my will, but 
Thine be done, 0 Lord!” If you ask the Holy Ghost 
for this gift He will give it to you without fail. 

V7. The Gift of Piety 

1. 2. Do you remember what you learned about St. 
Aloysius in your Communion instructions? How zeal¬ 
ous he was at prayer! How he liked to hear about 
Divine things! How he delighted to be with Jesus! 
For hours he knelt before the tabernacle and did not 
want to go away at all; his confessor had to command 
him strictly to shorten his acts of penance. Yes, Aloy¬ 
sius did love God as a Father and he proved this by 
obeying Him in all things most conscientiously. God 
was everything to him; therefore his thoughts were 
always with God. He had the gift of Piety.—We re¬ 
ceive the gift of Piety to make us love God as a Father 
and obey Him because we love Him. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard.) 


90 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

3. But there are many Christians, who have very 
little love for God. They show it too by their conduct. 
They pray little, and the little they do pray, they per¬ 
form as badly as possible. They do not want to hear 
about going to the Lord’s House, the Church. Divine 
service always lasts too long for them. They do not 
like to listen to a sermon—that is too monotonous for 
them. Do they love God?—No, they lack the gift of 
Piety. Are you perhaps like them? Do you never 
say: “What! pray again? Go to church again? Go 
to Confession again?” Do you like to attend the 
Christian Doctrine instructions? Do you faithfully 
keep God’s Commandments, because you love Him as 
your Father?—Believe me: If you do not like to do 
these things now, later on you will not want to do 
them either.—A pious Christian must of course suffer 
much, for to obey God means to suffer. The careless 
worldlings laugh at the pious Christian and call him 
sarcastically a St. Aloysius. But what of it? Let the 
foolish worldlings wag their tongues in their empty 
heads. Some day they will lose all desire of laughing 
—at death. “He that laughs last, laughs best!” 

VII. The Gift of Fear of the Lord. 

1. Just think again of Aloysius! As a child he often 
repeated bad words; but he did not understand at all 
what he was saying. His guardian heard it and scold¬ 
ed him saying: “Aloysius! that is a sin, you may not 
do that again!” Then the little fellow began to cry 
bitterly and never again spoke such words. So great 
was his fear of sin, so great his love for God! That 
is the gift of Fear of the Lord: We receive the gift of 
Fear of the Lord to fill us with a dread of sin. (j Repeat 
together; use the blackboard.) 

2. The person that fears God, thinks to himself: I 
would rather lose everything than lose God! Rather 
die than commit a mortal sin! What did Joseph of 
Egypt say when in danger of sin?—“How can I do 


THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST 91 

this wicked thing, and sin against my God?” (Gen. 
xxxix, 9). And Susanna said: “It is better for me to 
fall into your hands without doing it, than to sin in 
the sight of the Lord” (Dan. xiii, 23). 

3. Have you also such a Fear of the Lord in your 
hearts? Is God dearer to you than everything upon 
earth? You know the beautiful words of old father 
Tobias: “My son, have God in thy heart all the days 
of thy life and beware, lest thou ever consent to sin!” 
Neither forget the old proverb: “Only one thing is 
necessary: Child, fear God!” 

Write on the blackboard: 

The Gifts of the Holy Ghost: 

1. Wisdom—to relish the things of God and to direct 

our whole life and all our actions to God. 

2. Understanding—to know more clearly the mys¬ 

teries of Faith. 

3. Counsel—to warn us of the deceits of the devil 

and the dangers to salvation. 

4. Fortitude—to strengthen us to do the will of God 

always. 

5. Knowledge—to enable us to discover God's will 

in all things. 

6. Piety—to make us love God as a Father and obey 

Him out of love. 

7. Fear of the Lord—to fill us with a dread of sin. 

Synthesis. In a wonderfully beautiful manner are 
the rays of the sun reflected in the rainbow; gloriously 
do the gifts of the Holy Ghost shine forth in the soul. 
Which are the gifts of the Holy Ghost?—Why do we 
receive the gift of Wisdom?—of Understanding? etc. 
—Now let us humbly ask for the seven gifts of the 
Holy Spirit. “Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,” etc. 
{Have the pupils read the answers from the Cate¬ 
chism . Assign the lesson for the next class.) 


92 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


LESSON XII. 

Reception of Holy Confirmation. 
Catechetical Unit: 

1) To receive Confirmation worthily is it necessary 
to be in the state of grace? L. XV, Q. 173. 

2) What special preparation should be made to re¬ 
ceive Confirmation? L. XV, Q. 174. 

Preparation. Dear children, the soul in which the 
Holy Ghost is, shines and sparkles with a sevenfold 
heavenly light. The Spirit of God rests in such a 
soul: “The Spirit of Wisdom and of Understanding, 
the Spirit of Counsel and of Fortitude, the Spirit of 
Knowledge and of Piety, and it is filled with the Spirit 
of the Fear of God.” (Isaias xi, Is.) Let us review 
this teaching. ( Question the pupils briefly on the pre¬ 
ceding lesson.) —What did I say to you about the prep¬ 
aration for Holy Confirmation?—What ought you to 
do each day?—Did you obey my words of counsel?— 
Consider well, that I must testify before the Bishop, 
that all the children are well prepared for Confirma¬ 
tion. The Bishop is very exacting about this matter. 
If you have hitherto neglected the preparation it is 
now high time to begin. The great day of grace is 
already at hand. Now it is a question of making the 
final preparation! But how? 

Aim. That is what I shall show you today: What 
is necessary to make a good preparation for Holy Con¬ 
firmation? But first I am going to relate to you about 
a pious child that was confirmed. 

Presentation. Francis was a good child of God. On 
the Sunday after Easter he was allowed to make his 
First Holy Communion. Then he was perfectly happy. 
When he had Jesus in his heart, he prayed so beauti¬ 
fully: “0 Jesus! Thou art mine, and I am Thine. I 
would rather die than lose Thee again!” He kept his 


RECEPTION OF HOLY CONFIRMATION 93 

promise faithfully. After Communion he was full of 
zeal and a model for all the children. But another 
great grace was in store for him: the grace of Holy 
Confirmation. 

About three years later he was to receive the Holy 
Ghost in Confirmation — on the feast of Pentecost. 
Soon the great day was near. He began to prepare 
himself. The last nine days before Confirmation he 
made a special devotion in honor of the Holy Spirit. 
Each morning he went to Holy Mass and made an 
offering of himself for the grace of a good Confirma¬ 
tion. Each afternoon he visited Jesus in the Blessed 
Sacrament and prayed fervently for the seven gifts of 
the Holy Ghost. Now his Pentecost was already close 
at hand. The day before Pentecost the boy again 
confessed contritely and humbly his sins; the next 
morning he received Jesus again in Holy Communion. 
Now his heart was prepared to receive the exalted and 
heavenly Guest, the Holy Ghost. 

Solemnly the Bishop entered into the church. Dur¬ 
ing Holy Mass the child prayed fervently again and 
again: “Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest, and in my 
heart take up Thy rest!” Attentively he listened to 
the instructions on Confirmation given by the Bishop. 

The great moment was come. The Bishop laid his 
hand on the boy, anointed him with the holy chrism 
and prayed: “Francis, I sign thee with the sign of the 
cross, and I confirm thee with the chrism of salvation, 
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
Holy Ghost. Amen.” Meanwhile quietly and fervent¬ 
ly the pious child prayed: “Come, 0 come, Holy Ghost! 
with Thy grace and heavenly aid, to fill the heart 
which Thou hast made.” Then he thanked God heartily 
for the gift of Pentecost: “Thanks be to Thee, 0 good 
Holy Ghost, a thousand thanks! I will believe, live 
and die as a Christian.” Still praying he waited until 
the end of the celebration and received the Bishop’s 
blessing while kneeling. Only then did he leave the 
house of God. 


94 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Explanation. 1. After Jesus had ascended into 
Heaven, the Apostles filled with joy returned into the 
city. There they waited for nine days for the promised 
Holy Ghost and persevered together in prayer with 
Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Behold a model for all 
who are preparing for Confirmation! How did Francis 
act?—That is what I would like to impress upon your 
mind. Make a nine days' devotion—a Novena—to the 
Holy Ghost. Attend Holy Mass every day; visit the 
Blessed Sacrament every afternoon and pray for the 
gifts of the Holy Ghost by reciting seven Our Fathers 
with the petition: “Come, 0 come, Holy Ghost, Creator 
blest!” That is a good preparation for your Pentecost. 
The better the preparation, the greater the graces of 
Confirmation. If you please the Holy Ghost, He will 
please you even more. 

2. But it is not enough to pray; more than that is 
required for a good preparation. What did little Francis 
do?—To purify the heart and to sanctify it by a good 
Confession—that is necessary. To receive Confirma* 
tion worthily it is necessary to be in the state of grace. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard; see the diagram 
below just above the synthesis.) Why? That is evi¬ 
dent. For a heavenly Guest comes into the soul, the 
Holy Ghost. He is just as holy as Jesus Christ. But 
you all know, that whoever receives Jesus unworthily 
in Holy Communion commits a sacrilege. He that re¬ 
ceives the Holy Ghost unworthily in Confirmation, also 
commits a sacrilege. Surely such a grievous sin none 
of you desires to commit! That would be a great mis¬ 
fortune. For you can receive Holy Confirmation but 
once. If the grace of Confirmation is once lost, it is 
lost and gone for your whole life. 

3. The state of grace is necessary. But that too is 
not yet enough. It is your duty to do as little Francis 
did. He was regular in attending the Christian Doc¬ 
trine class. There he heard the chief mysteries of our 
holy Faith and the duties of a Christian life explained. 
The catechist taught him about the Sacrament of Con- 


RECEPTION OF HOLY CONFIRMATION 95 

firmation—what it is and what effects it produces in 
the soul. That is another duty for every one, who 
wishes to prepare himself for this holy Sacrament. 
Our Catechism says: Persons of an age to learn should 
know the chief mysteries of Faith and the duties of a 
Christian, and be instructed in the nature and effects 
of this Sacrament. ( Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board.) 

4. Finally a great deal depends upon how one uses 
the final hours of grace before Holy Confirmation. 
How did the boy of our story conduct himself during 
the services of Confirmation ?—He prayed heartily and 
fervently; again and again he invoked the Holy Ghost, 
especially during the moment of Confirmation: “Come, 
0 come, Holy Ghost!” That is the proper thing to do: 
A person to prepare himself for receiving Confirma¬ 
tion must heartily desire the grace of the Holy Ghost, 
and for that reason, he must fervently pray, and per¬ 
form good works. (Repeat together.) Yes, he ought 
to have an ardent longing for the Holy Ghost just as 
the Apostles once did. The person to be confirmed 
ought, as it were, to hunger and thirst for the heavenly 
gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles prayed with 
Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Likewise the person, who 
is to be confirmed, ought not to forget to beg Mary, to 
lead him with her motherly hand to the Holy Ghost. 

5. The person confirmed receives the gifts of the 
Holy Ghost. But he must therefore also promise some¬ 
thing.—The person confirmed promises two things: 
1) I will believe as a Catholic; 2) I will live and die as 
a Christian. That is your baptismal vow. At your 
First Holy Communion you renewed your baptismal 
vow. Now at Holy Confirmation you are to renew 
once more that same promise. But who is a good 
Christian?—To like to pray, to go to church, to receive 
the holy Sacraments diligently, in brief, to conscien¬ 
tiously keep the Commandments of God and of the 
Church: that is the duty of a good Christian. For this 
purpose you receive the power of the Holy Ghost.— 


96 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Remember then: The person confirmed ought to prom¬ 
ise God, to live and die as a good Christian. (Repeat 
together.) 

6. Holy Confirmation ends with the blessing of the 
Bishop. The concluding blessing also belongs to Con¬ 
firmation and no person, who has received Confirma¬ 
tion, may miss it. The person confirmed ought not to 
leave the church before the Bishop has given his bene¬ 
diction. (Repeat together.) If after Confirmation 
you have to wait a little, imitate the little boy of our 
story: Thank God for the Holy Ghost's gifts of grace 
and pray devoutly out of your prayer-book. 

Write on the blackboard: 

The person to be confirmed ought 

1) to be in the state of grace; 

2) to know the chief mysteries of our Faith 

and the duties of a Christian. 

Synthesis. Now you know how you ought to con¬ 
duct yourselves before Confirmation, during Confirma¬ 
tion and after Confirmation. How ought you to pre¬ 
pare yourselves during the last nine days? — How 
ought you to receive Holy Confirmation?—Why is the 
state of grace necessary?—What prayer might you 
say at the moment of Confirmation? — What truths 
must he know, who is to be confirmed?—What prom¬ 
ises ought the person make to God, who is going to be 
confirmed? — Why must those that have been con¬ 
firmed remain for the final blessing? ( Have the pupils 
read the answers from the Catechism. Assign the les¬ 
son for the next class.) 

Application. 1 . The person to be confirmed must 
be in the state of grace. To receive Holy Confirmation 
unworthily would be a very shameful act of ingrati¬ 
tude towards the Holy Ghost.—(More than a hundred 
years ago there was a revolution in France, that is, 
civil war. Incredible crimes were committed. One 


RECEPTION OF HOLY CONFIRMATION 97 


day a noble, venerable priest with silver hair was led 
out to death. He had done evil to no one, but good to 
all. Suddenly a young man pushes his way through 
the crowd and pierces the heart of the priest with a 
naked dagger and cries out: “Die, old man! Now it 
is your turn to die.” Everybody was filled with as¬ 
tonishment: for all knew that the priest had heaped 
favors upon that inhuman creature. How heartless 
and ungrateful! In a very similar manner does he 
act, who wishes to receive Holy Confirmation unworth¬ 
ily, in mortal sin.)—The Holy Ghost is our greatest 
Benefactor. Just think of what good He has already 
done for you.—In Baptism He made you to be children 
of God; in Penance He forgave your sins; in Com¬ 
munion He gave you Jesus. Yes, every good thought, 
every pious prayer of your heart is a grace of the 
Holy Ghost. What a shameful ingratitude would it 
not be, to receive the Sacrament of Holy Confirmation 
unworthily! May God preserve you from such a mis¬ 
fortune ! 

2. The person to be confirmed promises: I will live 
and die as a good Christian. A brave soldier goes to 
battle with the cry: For the President and the country 
—faithful unto death! He that receives Confirmation 
becomes a soldier of Christ; he must fight for his 
Ruler Christ; he must fight for his earthly country, 
the Church, and for his heavenly country. Your battle 
cry too ought to be: Faithful unto death! Then some 
day on your death-bed you can say as did St. Paul: 
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, 
I have kept the Faith. Christ, my Judge, will give me 
the reward of eternal life” (II Tim. iv, 7).—“Catholic 
I am and Catholic is my name; as a Catholic will I 
live and die; thus I will not perish: it is well to die as 
a Catholic!” 


98 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


LESSON XIII. 

The Fruits of the Holy Ghost. 

Catechetical Unit: 

Which are the twelve fruits of the Holy Ghost? 
L. XVI, Q. 186. 

Preparation. Dear children, let us first review what 
we have learned in the last class. ( Question the pupils 
briefly on the foregoing lesson). — When the Holy 
Ghost dwells in the heart, man is like a tree full of life, 
that produces the best and the sweetest fruits, that is, 
works of virtue and holiness. If, on the other hand, the 
spirit of the world and the flesh takes possession of 
man's heart, it becomes like a tree, which produces 
bad and bitter fruits. These evil fruits St. Paul calls 
'The works of the flesh, which are uncleanness, enmi¬ 
ties, quarrels, murders, drunkenness, and such like" 
(Gal. v, 19s). By the fruits, therefore, we can tell 
what sort of spirit animates a man. The Saviour 
Himself says: “By their fruits you shall know them;" 
and again: “Every good tree bringeth forth good 
fruit, and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit" 
(Matt, vii, 16s). St. Paul gives us the names of some 
of the most excellent of these good fruits, which the 
Holy Ghost produces in the heart of a holy man. They 
are charming and pleasing to God and man; they make 
life here on earth happy and sweet, and at the same 
time they are the pledge and foretaste of a still greater 
happiness and sweetness, which will be the reward in 
the life to come. 

Aim. Today I intend to explain for you: Which are 
the fruits of the Holy Ghost? We can best understand 
these fruits, if we look at the beautiful life of one of 
God's greatest Saints, in whom these fruits appeared 
so clearly. 

Presentation. St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of 


THE FRUITS OF THE HOLY GHOST 99 

the great Franciscan order of religious, led a life of 
such lovely and heroic sanctity, that even non-Catho- 
lics delight to speak of him as “God’s Poor Little Man 
of Assisi.” While still living in the world, Francis was 
meek and pious, and especially generous to the poor. 
At the age of twenty-five he left his home and all his 
earthly possessions, in order to give himself entirely 
to the service of God and to corporal and spiritual 
works of mercy towards his neighbor. 

He showed his charity for God particularly by his 
devotion to Christ’s Passion. The crucifix was his 
only book, and in it he read the story of true wisdom, 
the lesson of Jesus’ poverty, humility, patience, good¬ 
ness, meekness, suffering, and every other virtue. 
Then he set himself courageously to imitate in his own 
life these shining virtues of the Saviour. Two years 
before his death Francis saw in vision the Crucified 
Christ. While meditating on Jesus’ bitter Passion, 
Francis received in a miraculous manner the five 
Sacred Wounds of Jesus impressed on his own hands 
and feet and side. Blood issued from these wounds 
and caused him intense pain, but he rejoiced in spirit, 
because he had received this great sign of Jesus’ love 
for him. He carried these wounds (stigmata, as they 
are called) with him to the grave. (Show the pupils 
a large picture of this event.) 

Francis also proved his love for his neighbor by 
visiting the sick in the hospitals, serving them, wash¬ 
ing their wounds and even kissing their ulcers. In his 
heart the whole world found refuge. Yes, the very 
animals found in Francis a tender friend and protec¬ 
tor. He journeyed as a missionary throughout his 
native land, Italy, into Spain, Palestine, and even 
visited Morroco in Africa, where he preached before 
the famous Mohametan King Miromolin. He exhorted 
the people to penance with such energy and zeal, that 
his words pierced their heart like fiery arrows. 

When his father, his brother, and his acquaintances, 
ridiculed him for appearing as a beggar in the streets, 


100 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


he bore all their insults patiently and meekly, never 
getting angry even for a moment. Yes, when the 
people pelted him with mud and stones, and called him 
a madman and a fool, Francis endured it all, feeling 
joy and gladness in his heart. On a certain occasion 
while visiting Rome, he saw a multitude of beggars 
before the church of St. Peter. He took off his own 
clothing and gave it to one, whom he thought to be the 
poorest among them. He clothed himself with the 
rags of this beggar and remained in the company of 
these poor people all day, his heart overflowing with 
an extraordinary comfort and joy. Indeed, so great 
was his happiness in the midst of suffering and trial, 
that he begged God to lessen this joy, lest he die. 

He w r as as simple and sincere as a little child. He 
used to say frequently: “What a man is in the sight of 
God, so much he is and no more! ,, To give you but 
one instance of his sincerity. When one of his broth¬ 
ers in religion insisted upon sewing a piece of fox skin 
under his clothing to keep away the cold, Francis con¬ 
sented only upon the condition, that another piece of 
the same size be sewed on the outside. So great was 
his hatred for all hypocrisy and deceit. His modesty 
appeared in all that he did and said. One day he said 
to one of his brothers in religion: “Come, let us go out 
to preach!” They walked through the streets of the 
city without saying a word; then they returned to the 
convent. Francis' companion asked: “I thought you 
said we were to preach?” The Saint replied: “We did 
preach. Our whole conduct is a sermon.” He guarded 
with special care the angelic virtue of purity. On a 
certain occasion while tempted violently against holy 
purity, Francis threw himself into a ditch of snow, so 
that he might overcome the temptations of the devil. 
In treating with women he kept such a strict watch 
over his eyes, that he scarcely knew any woman even 
by sight. 

Finally the hour of his death was at hand. He or¬ 
dered his brothers in religion to lay him upon the bare 


THE FRUITS OF THE HOLY GHOST 101 


ground. They did so, covering his body with an old 
garment. Then he said to them: “Farewell, my chil¬ 
dren! Always remain in the fear of the Lord. I 
hasten to go to our Lord, to Whose grace I recommend 
you.” Then he gave up his heroic soul to God on the 
fourth of October, 1226, at the age of forty-five. Jesus 
plucked the ripe fruits of the Holy Ghost from Francis' 
soul and placed them in the rich store-house of Heaven. 

Explanation. Who is there, that does not admire 
the glorious fruits, that adorned the heart of this hero 
of Christ? Yes, the heart of Francis was like a beauti¬ 
ful garden, which the hand of God Himself planted. 
Let us now look at these bright flowers, these luscious 
heavenly fruits of the Holy Ghost. 

1. The perfect love of God dwelt in the soul of this 
Saint. No wonder, then, that Francis produced such 
deeds of charity for God and man! Just think how his 
heart burned with love for Jesus, particularly when 
meditating on the Passion of the Saviour. Who can 
count the labors, the trials, he willingly underwent in 
serving his neighbor for the love of God? No work 
was too great, no task too hard, if only he could make 
men love God more and more. There you see the first 
glorious fruit of the Holy Ghost—Charity. (Use the 
blackboard. See the diagram below just above the 
synthesis.) 

2. But you must not imagine, that Francis did not 
find it hard to perform these deeds of charity. He did 
find it hard. For he had to endure many a bitter 
struggle against his own natural inclinations. The 
devil, too, tempted him to forget God. The world 
called out loudly to him to leave the straight and nar¬ 
row path, and to walk like other men upon the broad 
and crooked path of sin. Men did not always repay 
his goodness to them with kindness and gratitude. 
On the contrary, frequently they heaped abuse upon 
him. And yet, Francis never grew sad; he never lost 
the joy of his soul. His own conscience told him, that 


102 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


he was closely united with Jesus, his dearest Friend. 
Why, then, should he not rejoice and be glad? Indeed, 
so great was this interior happiness, that he begged 
God to lessen that joy, lest he die. That is a second 
fruit of the Holy Ghost—Joy. ( Use the blackboard.) 

3. No matter what trials came upon him; no matter 
how bitter the cares, that pressed upon him; Francis 
always remained undisturbed. He felt a wonderful 
peace and quiet in his heart. His soul was at rest 
with God and man. Therefore he always felt "the 
peace which surpasseth all understanding” (Phil, 
iv, 7), a special fruit of the Holy Ghost. The third 
fruit, therefore, is Peace. ( Use the blackboard.) 

4. From the first hour of his conversion this great 
Saint had to endure all sort of evils. His father, his 
brother, the people generally, ridiculed him and treat¬ 
ed him as a fool and a madman. How do you know 
that? — Did Francis, perhaps, become excited and 
angry over this treatment? No, he remained calm; 
he drove away immediately every feeling of revenge 
and annoyance. He was always resigned amid the 
trials of life. Yes, he even rejoiced in them. That is 
a fourth fruit of the Holy Ghost—Patience. ( Use the 
blackboard.) 

5. Surely many a time Francis must have been 
tempted to murmur and complain, when he saw 
how other men were enjoying the good things of life, 
while he was without these blessings. But no; our 
hero knew that these good things, which were now 
delayed, would some day be given to him in abundance 
in Heaven. Therefore, he continued to serve God in 
spite of all, trusting in God’s promises. That is the 
fifth fruit of the Holy Ghost — Longanimity. 
(Use the blackboard). 

6. Francis really meant well with all men. He had 
the firm will to do good to all. He really wanted to 
serve God and men. He wished to avoid everything, 
that might cause his neighbor even the least pain and 
annoyance, the slightest injury. He was ever ready 


THE FRUITS OF THE HOLY GHOST 103 

to comfort those in need or in sin. Can anyone deny 
that Francis was good? Yes, that is the sixth fruit 
of the Holy Ghost—Goodness. ( Use the blackboard). 

7. But Francis was not only willing to serve and to 
oblige; he also did good to all. We see that from his 
works of mercy. Tell me a few instances. He felt 
real sympathy for everyone, that was in need or in sin. 
How gentle and kind was he not, even to the animals. 
His heart was like the heart of a loving mother for 
her dear children. That is the seventh fruit of the 
Holy Ghost—Benignity. ( Use the blackboard.) 

8. Francis hated all double-dealing towards others. 
He was always open and sincere in all his thoughts, 
words and deeds. He loved the truth. Tell me an ex¬ 
ample of this. Yes, he would not allow his brother 
in religion to hide his warm clothing from the eyes of 
men, lest they might think him better than he really 
was. He abhorred all deceit. He was open and simple 
and truthful. That is the eighth fruit of the Holy 
Ghost—Faith. (Use the blackboard). 

9. It is scarcely credible what evils came upon this 
Saint. But Francis always kept his temper; he never 
got angry; he put down every feeling of resentment 
and ill-will. He always remained kind and gentle and 
forebearing towards all men. For he kept in mind 
the words of Jesus: “Learn of Me, for I am meek and 
humble of heart.” There you see the ninth fruit of the 
Holy Ghost—Meekness. (Use the blackboard.) 

10. There is one special fruit of the Holy Ghost, 
that shines with great splendor in the life of St. Fran¬ 
cis, and makes him appear so attractive and lovable 
even to non-Catholics. Francis never tried to make 
an external show of himself before others. He was 
unassuming, reserved and retiring in speech, in dress, 
and in manners. He had a delicate regard for the 
feelings of others. How do you know that? All that 
he had to do was to walk in the streets, without even 
saying a single word, and all that saw him were edi¬ 
fied. The words of the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures 


104 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

were true in his regard: “The attire of the body, and 
the laughter of the teeth, and the gait of the man show 
what he is” (Ecclesiasticus xix, 27). That is the tenth 
fruit of the Holy Ghost—Modesty. ( Use the black¬ 
board) . 

11. 12. Finally, like all of God's Saints, Francis 

practised the virtue, that makes a man like the Holy 
Angels—purity. Recall how carefully he guarded his 
eyes and tongue, so that no impure sin might soil his 
soul. Think of his conduct towards women; he scarce¬ 
ly knew a single woman even by sight. You remem¬ 
ber, that he even threw himself into a snowdrift in or¬ 
der to extinguish the fires of impurity within his 
heart. “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall 
see God”—these words of Jesus might be said in all 
truth of St. Francis of Assisi. The eleventh and 
twelfth fruits of the Holy Ghost are Continency and 
Chastity. ( Use the blackboard ). 

Write on the blackboard : 

Fruits of the Holy Ghost: 

1. Charity—love for God and man—deeds of love; 

2. Joy—interior happiness; cheerfulness in doing 
good, even in the midst of trials; 

3. Peace—absence of care and worry; at rest with 
God and men; 

4. Patience—bearing with others their ways and 

failings; absence of resentment; 

5. Longanimity—undisturbed over the lack of good 
things; 

6. Goodness—well-disposed to all; avoiding pain to 
others; 

7. Benignity—doing good to all; gentle, sympathetic 
to all; 

8. Faith—truthfulness; hating deceit, hypocrisy; 

9. Meekness—suffering evils with even mind, neith¬ 
er giving nor taking offence; 

10. Modesty—moderation in speech, dress, manner; 
unassuming disposition; 


THE FRUITS OF THE HOLY GHOST 105 


11. 12. Continency-Chastity—practice of holy pur¬ 
ity. 

Synthesis. What beautiful fruits did not the grace 
of the Holy Ghost produce in the life of St. Francis! 
Let us review these effects of the grace of God. What 
fruits does the Holy Ghost produce in the soul of the 
person, in whom He dwells? Which are the twelve 
fruits of the Holy Ghost? What do you mean by the 
fruit of Charity?—of Joy, etc.? ( Have the pupils 
read the answers from the Catechism and blackboard. 
Assign the lesson for the next class). 

Application. 1. Every one loves to look upon the 
bright flowers and ripe fruits, that flourish on the 
earth. So, too, the flowers and fruits that grow in 
the heart of a true child of God are pleasing and de¬ 
lightful to God and to man. But just as there are blind 
men in the world, who cannot see the bright colors of 
the flowers and fruits, so there are likewise many blind 
worldlings, who cannot see the beauty of the fruits 
and flowers of the Holy Ghost. For instance, the world¬ 
ly-minded man cannot understand how a person can 
be truly happy, who leads a mortified and penitential 
life. Such a person imagines that a pious Christian 
cannot be truly happy and content. And yet, joy is 
the second of the twelve fruits of the Holy Ghost. 
Such a worldly-minded person is blind. Why ? Because 
he does not understand the fruits of the Holy Ghost. 
He sees only the thorns of self-denial, but not the roses 
that grow from works of self-denial. He sees only 
the bitterness of sufferings, but he does not taste the 
sweetness, that goes with a patient bearing of all the 
trials of life. He sees the cross, but not the joy and 
the peace, which the Holy Ghost pours out over the 
cross. Dear children, do not be blind like so many 
of the children of the world. Ask the Holy Spirit, 
each time that you go to Holy Communion, to enlighten 
your eyes, so that they may see the beauty and loveli¬ 
ness of the fruits of the Holy Ghost. Then you will 


106 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

feel like imitating the lives of the Saints, in whom 
these bright flowers and beautiful fruits shine forth. 

2. In Holy Confirmation especially will you receive 
the Holy Ghost and His graces. And by faithfully us¬ 
ing those graces you, too, will be able to produce the 
fruits of the Holy Ghost in your life. Remember: 
“Every tree that doth not yield good fruit, shall be cut 
down” (Matt, iii, 10). You recall the parable of the 
barren fig tree. Our Divine Lord had been teaching 
almost three years and admonishing the Jews, labor¬ 
ing unceasingly for their salvation. Yet, His labors 
and preaching had produced little fruit. Therefore, 
He compared them to a fig tree, which a certain man 
planted in his vineyard and which, after all his care 
and trouble, bore no fruit. Then the master of the 
vineyard said to his vine-dresser: “Behold, for three 
years I have come seeking fruit on this tree, and I find 
none. Cut it down, therefore! Why doth it take up 
the ground ?” But the vine-dresser answered, saying: 
“Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig about it, if 
so haply it bear fruit; but if not, then, after all thou 
shalt cut it down/’ Surely, this parable ought to ter¬ 
rify all, but particularly those sinners, who say: “I 
will be converted on my death-bed,” because they may 
be struck down by sudden death and the end—. 

3. What fruits of the Holy Ghost are you bringing 
forth? How about charity? Are you kind, good, 
meek to all? How about patience and longanimity in 
trials? Are you chaste in all your thoughts, words 
and deeds ? Make an act of perfect contrition for your 
carelessness. Now, let us beg the Holy Ghost to help us 
to show forth in our life these glorious fruits: 

“Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest, 

And in our hearts take up Thy rest; 

Come with Thy grace and heavenly aid, 

To fill the hearts which Thou hast made.” 


FORGET-ME-NOTS FOR CONFIRMATION 107 


LESSON XIV. 

Forget-me-nots for Confirmation. 

# 

1. Days of grace have come for you. You may re¬ 
ceive three holy Sacraments in succession: Penance, 
Communion and Confirmation. 

2. It is for you to prepare your hearts for the gifts 
of the Holy Ghost. Therefore, purify and sanctify 
your souls by a good Confession and a worthy Com¬ 
munion. 

3. Prepare yourselves with all zeal for Holy Confir¬ 
mation, so that your heart may be a worthy dwelling 
for the Holy Spirit. A bad Confession and Commun¬ 
ion can, indeed, be made good again. But whoever re¬ 
ceives Holy Confirmation unworthily cannot receive it 
again in a worthy manner. 

4. You should long for the gift of Pentecost with 
the same holy desire, with which the Apostles once 
longed for it. Therefore, on the eve of Confirmation 
think very often of the Holy Ghost and pray again and 
again: “Come, 0 come, Thou Comforter of my soul.” 

5. The evening before Confirmation recite, kneeling 
if possible, a good hearty evening prayer; then go to 
sleep with the thought of the joy of tomorrow. 

6. The first thought and salutation in the morning 
of the Confirmation day ought to belong to the Holy 
Ghost; then say a good morning prayer. 

7. Be modest while dressing, so that nothing may 
happen, that would grieve the Holy Ghost. 

8. Be on your guard against all vanity in dress. The 
Holy Ghost resists the proud, but He gives His grace 
to the humble. He does not regard a beautiful dress, 
but looks rather upon a pure heart. 

9. The hair ought not to hang down over the fore- 


108 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

head; for that is not proper and interferes with the 
unction. 

10. It is not commanded to receive Holy Confirma¬ 
tion fasting, but it is the wish of the Church. But 
generally, children are too weak to fast before Confir¬ 
mation, especially if it takes place late in the morn¬ 
ing. Of course, if you go to Holy Communion before, 
you must fast for that. 

11. All who are to be confirmed must be in the 
church with their sponsors at least fifteen minutes 
before the celebration. They will go to their assigned 
places in procession and, meanwhile, they will avoid 
all unnecessary talk and noise. Remember: The place 
where you are is holy. 

12. Every child to be confirmed will bring his prayer 
book with him; also the little card with his name and 
the name of the sponsor. 

13. The Bishop enters the church giving his bless¬ 
ing; those who are to be confirmed will receive the 
blessing of the Bishop kneeling. 

14. The Mass of Confirmation is said specially for 
those who are to be confirmed. All ought during Mass 
to pray fervently for the gifts of the Holy Ghost; all 
ought to recommend themselves to the dear Mother of 
God and the Guardian Angel and pray: “0 Mary, my 
Mother, pray for Thy child. My Holy Guardian Angel 
assist me.” 

15. The Bishop himself will give you a short instruc¬ 
tion on Confirmation. Listen attentively and take 
his words of counsel to heart. 

16. Immediately following the instruction is the 
administration of the Sacrament of the Holy Ghost. 
The Bishop at the altar solemnly invokes with out¬ 
stretched arms the Holy Ghost to descend upon those 
to be confirmed. Meanwhile all who are to be confirmed 


FORGET-ME-NOTS FOR CONFIRMATION 109 

are kneeling and praying fervently for the seven gifts 
of the Spirit. 

17. The children to be confirmed come to the altar- 
rail in order, just as we have shown you; the Bishop 
then passes from one to the other. 

18. When your turn comes, hold the card with both 
hands, like this, before you (Show them how). One 
of the priests will take the card from you and read 
your baptismal name to the Bishop. 

19. During the moment of Confirmation fold your 
hands devoutly and keep your eyes cast down. At the 
same time you might pray quietly: “Come, O come, 
Thou Comforter of my soul.” 

20. After the unction the Bishop makes the sign of 
the cross over the one confirmed; but the child, that 
has been confirmed should not make the sign of the 
cross. 

21. The holy chrism may not be dishonored; there¬ 
fore, one of the priests will wipe it off from the fore¬ 
head of the child with a little cotton batting. 

22. After Holy Confirmation wait for the signal; 
then arise together and return to your proper place in 
the church, slowly and with folded hands and eyes cast 
down. 

23. Remain in your place in the pew quietly and 
thank the Holy Ghost with all your heart for the 
graces of Confirmation. 

24. During the administration of the Sacrament 
the choir sings a hymn to the Holy Ghost. But you 
ought to pray with all the fervor of your soul. 

25. If one of you should happen to get sick, you may 
go outside for a breath of fresh air. Then come back 
again as soon as possible; for no one that has been 
confirmed may miss the last solemn blessing of the 
Bishop. 


110 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


26. Confirmation ends with the solemn prayer for 
those that have been confirmed and with the blessing 
of the Bishop. During this prayer and blessing all 
that have been confirmed should kneel and make the 
sign of the cross. 

27. Let the entire day of Confirmation be for you a 
holy day. Therefore, avoid everything that might 
desecrate this day of grace. 

28. It is right and fitting for your sponsors to in¬ 
vite you to dinner or for an excursion. But be tem¬ 
perate. If you have already eaten enough and the peo¬ 
ple try to force you to take more, just say: “I thank 
you; I have already had enough.” (A few words 
might he said here in regard to the custom of taking 
the pledge). 

29. It is an old custom, that the sponsor for Con¬ 
firmation gives a present to the one, for whom he has 
acted as sponsor. But be content with what you re¬ 
ceive. The best present for Confirmation you receive 
from the Holy Ghost. 

30. The afternoon ought not be given over exclusive¬ 
ly to entertainment. You are expected to come to the 
church at least for a quarter of an hour, to thank God 
again with all your heart for His graces. 

31. In the evening return home in good season and 
end the day of grace with a good evening prayer. 

32. St. Paul writes to his pupil, Timothy (II Tim. 
i, 6) : “I admonish thee, that thou stir up the grace 
of God, which is in thee by the imposition of my 
hands.” That holds also for one that has been con¬ 
firmed. Often think of the day of your Confirmation 
and frequently renew your promise: “I will live and 
die as a good Catholic Christian.” 


PENANCE 































PENANCE—A GIFT OF GOD 


113 


LESSON XV. 

Penance—A Gift of God. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) When did Christ give the power of remitting 
sins ? (Deharbe) 

2) Did not Christ impart this power to the Apos¬ 
tles alone? (Deharbe) 

3) How do you know that the priest has the power 
of absolving from the sins committed after Baptism? 
L. XVII, Q. 189. 

4) How do the priests of the Church exercise the 
power of forgiving sins? L. XVII, Q. 190. 

5) What is the Sacrament of Penance? L. XVII, 
Q. 187. 

6) How does the Sacrament of Penance remit sin, 
and restore to the friendship of God? L. XVII, Q. 
189. 

Preparation. Dear children, how many Sacraments 
have you already received? In Holy Baptism you 
were made children of God. What sin was taken away 
from your soul at that time? If a person had other 
sins, actual sins, on his soul, would these also be for¬ 
given by the Sacrament of Baptism? But I wonder 
whether all of you are still children of God? Perhaps 
one of you has already committed a mortal sin. 0 poor 
child! It is no longer a child of God. That is sad, in¬ 
deed. But, thanks be to God, all is not yet lost; that 


114 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


child can still become a child of God again in the 
Holy Sacrament of Penance. From whom have we the 
Sacrament of Penance? Penance or Confession is a 
gift of God; we have received it from Jesus Himself. 
You see, therefore, that sins are forgiven through 
two Sacraments—Baptism and Penance. We profess 
our belief in this teaching in the tenth article of the 
Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in the forgiveness of sins.” 

Aim. Now, I am going to explain to you: 
how Jesus gave us the Holy Sacrament of Penance . 

Presentation. When Jesus was led away to death, 
a terrible fear laid hold of the Apostles. They no 
longer dared to go out into the streets, but rather re¬ 
mained gathered together in a room; the doors were 
closed fast and tight. It is already Easter Sunday. 
With dreadful anxiety they waited hour upon hour. 
It has become evening. All discouraged they said to 
one another: No, now He will not come any more; the 
Master has abandoned and forgotten us! 

~When all of a sudden it seemed as though a gentle 
breeze had passed over them, and—Jesus, transfigured 
like a bright heavenly figure, stands in the midst of 
His disciples. They are all paralyzed with fear. Ter¬ 
rified and trembling each one asks in his own heart: 
Who is this mysterious apparition? Then Jesus ad¬ 
dresses them kindly, saying: “Peace be with you! Fear 
not; it is I! Behold My hands and feet. If I were a 
spirit I would not have flesh and bones as you see Me 
to have. But touch Me not.” And He wanted to ex¬ 
tend His hands to greet them. But in fear they drew 
back. Only after He had eaten before them were their 
eyes opened. Now they recognized the Divine Master 
and felt a childlike joy. 

Soon Jesus took leave again from His disciples. Now 
just listen to His parting words: “Peace be with you. 
As the Father hath sent Me, I also send you.” Then 
He breathed upon them and said: “Receive ye the 


PENANCE—A GIFT OF GOD 115 

Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are 
forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain, they 
are retained.” Thereupon Jesus vanished from their 
sight. (Show the pupils a large picture of this scene ). 

Explanation. A remarkable apparition. Memor¬ 
able words of God. Let us consider very carefully 
what the Divine Saviour said and did. 

1. At His departure Jesus greets His dear disciples: 
u Peace he with you.” A beautiful salutation and in¬ 
deed just the right salutation. Then He says: “As the 
Father hath sent Me, so also do I send you.” Why did 
the Father send His Son into the world? By sin men 
lost peace with God; Jesus Christ brought us again 
this lost peace. How did that happen? On the cross 
Jesus reconciled us with His heavenly Father, so that 
God became friendly again with us. As Saviour 
Christ came into the world and brought us peace. But 
very many fall again into sin and lose the peace of God. 
Who can help these poor sinners? Jesus told it to the 
Apostles: “So also do I send you.” Do you now un¬ 
derstand what Jesus means? What I have done, that 
you also are to do: You are to restore to poor sinners 
the lost peace of God. 

2. But how can that be? Pay attention. In the 
story it is said: then He breathed upon them. Remark¬ 
able! What might that breathing mean? Jesus Him¬ 
self told us that very plainly: “Receive ye the Holy 
Ghost.” Yes, the Apostles received the Holy Ghost. 
But why? Listen to the great words of the Lord: 
“Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven 
them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are re¬ 
tained.” Every child can understand that. Now the 
Apostles may forgive and retain sins. So it is. At 
that solemn evening hour Jesus conferred upon the 
Apostles the power of forgiving sins; He gave us the 
holy Sacrament of Penance. That is indeed an ines¬ 
timable gift of God; we cannot thank the dear Saviour 


116 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

enough for it. For in holy Confession the poor sinner 
finds the lost peace again. Therefore, thanks to Thee, 
O Jesus, a thousand thanks for the Sacrament of peace 
and reconciliation. Let us then remember: Christ 
gave the power of remitting sins when after His resur¬ 
rection He breathed on His Apostles and said to them: 
u Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall 
forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins you 
shall retain they are retained” (John xx, 22-23). 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard; see the diagram 
below just above the synthesis). 

3. Now the Apostles were confessors; they had the 
power of forgiving sins in the Sacrament of Penance. 
But Peter died, and the other Apostles are dead; after 
a hundred years not a single one was alive any more. 
Did the power of absolving from sin also die? That 
cannot be. Jesus foresaw very clearly, that there 
would always be poor sinners; therefore there must 
also always be the power of absolution. Now how 
did Jesus provide, that the forgiveness of sins should 
never cease? The Apostles consecrated other pious 
men to be Bishops and priests, and these men suc¬ 
ceeded them. To these successors in the office of the 
priesthood they gave the power of absolution. Now 
the priests have this holy inheritance. I too, am a 
confessor. I have received the power of absolution 
from the Bishop at my ordination. You see, therefore, 
Christ imparted the power of remitting sins also to all 
who were to succeed the Apostles in the priesthood „ 
as the Church has always believed and taught. (Re¬ 
peat together; use the blackboard.) 

4. Now you can tell me why the priest has the pow¬ 
er of absolving from sins. Our Catechism says: I 
know that the priest has the power of absolving from 
sins committed after Baptism, because Jesus Christ 
granted that power to the priests of His Church, when 
He said: “Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you 
shall forgive they are forgiven them: and whose sins 


PENANCE—A GIFT OF GOD 117 

you shall retain, they are retained. (Repeat together; 
use the blackboard). 

5. But mark well! Jesus says expressly: You are 
to forgive or to retain sins. Do you suppose that the 
priest may forgive or retain sins, absolve or not ab¬ 
solve from sins at random? No, the priest must first 
investigate and examine, and only then forgive or re¬ 
tain. But surely the priest cannot look into the heart 
of the sinner. What, therefore, must the sinner do? 
The sinner must first reveal his heart: he must con¬ 
fess his sins to the priest. Thus did Christ command 
at the institution of Penance. You see then: The 
priests of the Church exercise the power of forgiving 
sins by hearing the confession of sins. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard). 

Every priest has his power from Christ. I cannot 
of myself absolve from sins. No man can do that, 
neither can the Bishop nor even the Pope. The priest 
pronounces sentence in the confessional “in the name of 
God”; he can forgive sins only in the name of God, as 
the minister of God. Our Catechism says: The priests 
of the Church exercise the power of forgiving sins by 
hearing the confession of sins and by granting par¬ 
don for them as ministers of God and in His name. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 

6 . Now you can easily tell me what Penance is. 
Penance is a Sacrament in which the sins committed 
after Baptism are forgiven. (Repeat together; use 
the blackboard) . You can remember that also by say¬ 
ing for short: Penance is the Sacrament of the for¬ 
giveness of sins. 

7. Yes, when the priest, as God's minister and in 
God’s name, speaks these solemn words: “I absolve 
thee from thy sins” Christ Himself blots out all sins 
and makes the sinner a friend of God. That is what 
we Catholics believe, because Jesus has said so and 
His Church has always taught that. What miraculous 


118 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


power is there not in the absolution of the priest! In 
the Catechism we read: The Sacrament of Penance 
remits sins and restores the friendship of God by means 
of the absolution of the priest. (Repeat together; use 
the blackboard ). 

Write on the blackboard: 

1 . Institution of the Sacrament of Penance—on 
Easter night. 

2. Power of forgiveness—Apostles—Bishops and 
priests. 

3. Forgiveness of sins—“Receive ye the Holy 
Ghost.” 

4. Priests exercise power of forgiveness—by hear¬ 
ing confession of sin—by granting pardon as 
ministers of God and in His name. 

5. Penance—Sacrament of forgiveness of sins com¬ 
mitted after Baptism: by absolution of priest 
( 6 ). 

Synthesis. Penance is a gift of God’s love for us 
poor sinners. We know that and we are grateful for 
it. When did Christ institute this holy Sacrament? 
To whom did Christ give this power of forgiving sins ? 
Who has that power now? How do you know that? 
When do the priests exercise that power? What is 
Penance? How does Penance restore the friendship 
of God? (Have the pupils read the answers from the 
Catechism and blackboard. Assign the lesson for the 
next class). 

Application. 1. Christ said to His Apostles: “Re¬ 
ceive ye the Holy Ghost”—and then He conferred upon 
them the power of forgiving sins. In the same man¬ 
ner the Bishop acts at ordination to the Holy Priest¬ 
hood. Now tell me: Could your father forgive you your 
sins? Or your mother? Or your teacher? They did 


119 


PENANCE—A GIFT OF GOD 

not receive the Holy Ghost for the forgiving of sins, 
and consequently they cannot do it. Even though a 
person were a Saint, he could not do it, if he is not a 
priest. And if the Archangel Raphael were to come 
down from Heaven—he certainly is mighty and holy— 
he could not forgive the smallest sin. (With Protest¬ 
ants there is no priesthood. But their ministers would 
like very much to forgive the sins of the people. Why 
can they not do it? They have no power for that; 
they are not confessors). 

2. The confessor takes God's place. Let us suppose, 
that in one confessional was the Apostle Peter and in 
another a simple priest. Who can absolve better? 
The priest can absolve just as well as the Apostle. 
Peter has the power of absolving from Christ; the 
priest has it also from Christ, but through the Bishop. 
Confessions of children are just being heard. There 
are three confessors present: a priest and the Bishop 
—and Christ. To whom would you go to confession? 
You imagine, that perhaps Christ would be the best 
confessor, for He can do it best of all. That is indeed 
true; Jesus can forgive sins of Himself, because He is 
God. But the Bishop and the priest can absolve you 
just as well; for they do it in the name of Christ. No 
absolution is better and holier. 

3. Jesus greets His Apostles with the sweet words: 
“Peace be with you.” Oftentimes Jesus has said to 
you: “Peace be with you. Go in peace, thy sins are 
forgiven thee.” Then you felt happy at heart. Yes, 
rejoice and give thanks. 


120 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


LESSON XVI. 

The Duty of Confession. 
(Supplementary) 


Catechetical Unit: 

1) Why must we confess our sins in order to have 
them forgiven? 

2) Is the Sacrament of Penance necessary for sal¬ 
vation to all those who have sinned? 

3) Can all sins be forgiven by the Sacrament of 
Penance ? 

(N. B. The duty of confessing one’s sins has already been 
briefly touched upon in the preceding lesson. Since, however, 
the children will later on come into contact with people of other 
beliefs, a more complete exposition of this obligation ought 
to be given by the catechist. We add, therefore, the following 
questions and answers, which are taken from “A Full Cate¬ 
chism of the Catholic Religion,” by Jos. Deharbe, S. J.; 
revised, enlarged and edited by the Rt. Rev. P. N. Lynch, D.D.; 
pp. 276. Schwartz, Kirwin & Fauss, New York.) 

Preparation. Dear children, a certain venerable re¬ 
ligious teacher (Segneri) says the following in regard 
to Penance: “Heaven is our country, the earth is the 
land of our exile. Who can doubt, that we must tend 
continually towards that country, where our inheri¬ 
tance is ? But there lies between it and us a tempestu¬ 
ous sea. It is the sea of our earthly life. To cross this 
sea we need a ship. The proper ship, that God once 
assigned for this purpose, was innocence in which joy¬ 
fully and with glad hearts we could have arrived in 
safety on the shore of our true home. But unfortu¬ 
nately, this ship was dashed to pieces in that unhappy 
shipwreck, which in Adam all his children likewise 
have suffered. And thus nothing is left except that 
each one must cling firmly to Penance, which, there¬ 
fore, is called the plank of refuge after the shipwreck.” 
Let us review this teaching. (Question the pupils 
briefly on the preceding lesson). 


121 


THE DUTY OF CONFESSION 

Penance is a gift of God. We must be heartily grate¬ 
ful for it. But many Christians do not want to con¬ 
fess their sins. Others say: I confess my sins to the 
good God. Protestants do that. They have only a 
“general confession” and no private or “auricular con¬ 
fession”; that is, a confession spoken privately to a 
priest. 

Aim. But it is God’s will, that we confess our sins 
to the priest. That is what I am going to show you 
today. But first listen to how some Protestants con¬ 
fess. 

Presentation. A congregation of Protestant Chris¬ 
tians is gathered together in the church. Divine serv¬ 
ices are just being conducted: sermon, prayer and 
singing. They have not the Holy Mass. But some¬ 
times they celebrate the Lord’s Supper. On such oc¬ 
casions they first confess their sins; all pray together 
in this manner: “Almighty God, merciful Father! I, 
a poor sinful man, confess to Thee all my sins and mis¬ 
deeds, with which I have ever offended Thee and de¬ 
served Thy temporal and eternal punishments. I am 
heartily sorry for them and I repent of them exceed¬ 
ingly, and I beg Thee for Thy boundless mercy sake 
and for the sake of the bitter sufferings of Thy dear 
and innocent Son, Jesus Christ, to forgive me all my 
sins, and make me strong by Thy Spirit, so that I may 
amend my sinful life and be converted to Thee in truth. 
0 my God, I hope in Thy grace; have mercy on me and 
grant me Thy peace. Amen.” 

Thus do they pray. Thereupon their minister an¬ 
nounces from the pulpit: “Go in peace; your sins are 
forgiven you.” Now the confession is finished. 

Explanation. 1. To confess in that way is easy, is 
it not? But I wonder whether it is also right? That 
is a Confession-prayer, but it is not Confession. We 
Catholics also have a prayer, in which we confess all 
together—the public confession: “Confiteor—I con- 


122 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


fees to Almighty God, to Blessed Mary ever Virgin* 
etc., that I have sinned through my fault, through my 
fault, through my exceedingly great fault.” But we 
have also a Confession, in which each one alone must 
tell his sins to the priest. And that is what Christ 
wills. We shall see that immediately. 

A person is brought before the court. Now how 
is the trial conducted? May the judge at once con¬ 
demn or acquit the defendant ? That would be entire¬ 
ly unjust. The judge must first investigate, whether 
the accused person, the defendant, is guilty or inno¬ 
cent; only then can he judge. First the charge is made. 
Then the judge asks the accused person about every¬ 
thing. Thereupon the witnesses are also called up; 
they must conscientiously tell all that they know 
about the matter. Finally, after the judge has heard 
all, he pronounces sentence. If the man is innocent he 
is set free; but if he is guilty, he receives punishment. 

It is very much like that in Confession. There, too* 
a trial is held. We may call it the court of Confession 
—the tribunal of Penance. The accused person is 
the sinner, the judge is the priest. Thus has Christ 
ordained. For He said, you are “to forgive or to re¬ 
tain.” Do you suppose that the priest may forgive or 
retain sins, absolve or not absolve, at random, accord¬ 
ing to his own sweet will? That would not be right. 
No, the priest must act as the judge: first he must in¬ 
vestigate, then judge—forgive or retain. But the 
priest, cannot, of course, look into the heart of the 
sinner. What, therefore, must the sinner do? The 
sinner must first lay bare his heart to the confessor, 
he must confess his sins to the priest. Who, then, 
is right, we Catholics or the Protestants? We must 
first confess our sins in order to have them forgiven, 
because Christ ordained it so when He instituted the 
Sacrament of Penance. We prove it by His own 
words: “Whose sins you shall forgive,” etc., for unless 
we declare our sins and the whole state of our soul, to 
the priest, he cannot know whether he is to forgive or 


THE DUTY OF CONFESSION 123 

to retain them. ( Repeat together; use zhe blackboard; 
see the diagram below just above the synthesis.) 
With Protestants where is the judge? They cannot 
forgive or retain. Without Confession there is no 
absolution. 

2. To confess is necessary. We can easily show that 
also in another way. Here is a sick child. Now 
the doctor comes; what does he do? First he asks: 
My child, tell me what is the matter with you ? Where 
do you feel pain ? Then he examines the sick body and 
prescribes the medicine, so that the child may soon 
improve. 

The sinner is also sick, yes, often times his soul is 
sick unto death. But the priest is the physician of 
the soul; he is to heal the soul, that is dangerously 
ill- But then he must first know where the sinner is 
sick; therefore, the sinner must confess. The confes¬ 
sor ought also to prescribe for the penitent a medi¬ 
cine for the soul, a penance for sins. But what pen¬ 
ance?—a small or a great penance? That depends 
upon the sickness of the soul; for small sins a small 
penance, for great sins a great penance. There you 
see again: we must confess our sins to the priest. 

With Protestants where is the physician of the soul? 
They have none. Sick people, poor sinners they have 
in abundance; but no one can help them. We must 
heartily pity them; surely they are poor in this regard. 
For, if they die in their sins, they will be lost forever. 
To be sure, the most of them do not know any better; 
therefore, God will be gracious and merciful to them. 
But there are also Catholics, who do not want to con¬ 
fess, and yet they have sins upon their souls, sins 
as heavy as a millstone. For them there is no mercy. 
For neither will God pardon a person, who is unwill¬ 
ing to confess; such a one loses the kingdom of Heaven. 
Consequently, the Sacrament of Penance is necessary 
for salvation to all those who have committed grievous 
sin after Baptism. ( Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board) . 


124 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


3. Now you will be better able to understand, how 
grateful we must be to the dear Saviour for His words: 
“Whose sins you shall forgive, 'they are forgiven 
them.” Yes, Confession is a sweet consolation for the 
heart of every sinner. And yet, Protestants do not 
want to have anything to do with it. But here a doubt 
arises in my mind: Do the words of the Lord hold 
good for all sins ? There are such awful sins, that they 
are punished with death. But Jesus has made no ex¬ 
ceptions, but rather He has said: “Whose sins you 
shall forgive, they are forgiven them.” So it remains; 
no one may do violence to the words of the Lord and 
misinterpret them. God demands only one thing and 
upon that does He insist: the sinner must be disposed 
to penance. To repent of sin and then to amend 
one's life and do penance: that is called having the 
disposition of repentance in one's heart. Whoever 
confesses like that, can be saved, even though he may 
have been as wicked as the thief and murderer on the 
cross and the betrayer Judas or the sinner Magdalen 
and the enemy of Christ, Saul. All sins we have com¬ 
mitted after Baptism can be forgiven, if we confess 
them with the necessary disposition of repentance. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 

Our dear Lord Himself has said so: “If your sins 
be as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow: 
and if they be red as crimson, they shall be as white 
as wool” (Isaias i, 18). And again God says: “If the 
wicked do penance for all his sins, living he shall live, 
and shall not die. I will not remember all his iniqui¬ 
ties that he hath done” (Ezechiel xviii, 21s). If the 
good God speaks like that, no man can speak other¬ 
wise. 

Write on the blackboard: 

1. Duty of Confession 

a) to forgive and to re- b) Priest—judge, physi- 
tain sins; cian of soul. 


THE DUTY OF CONFESSION 125 

2. Duty of Confession—for all who commit mortal 
sin. 

3. Forgiveness of all sins — disposition of repent¬ 
ance. 

Synthesis. What we have learned today is very 
important for the life of a Christian: to confess is the 
duty of a Christian. Why must we confess our sins? 
Is the Sacrament of Penance necessary for salvation 
for all? But to confess is also a sweet consolation for 
the heart of the sinner. Can all sins be forgiven? 
(Have the pupils read the answers from the Cate¬ 
chism and blackboard. Assign the lesson for the 
next class). 

Application. 1. A person says: “I confess my sins 
to God in secret.” Who can now give the correct an¬ 
swer to this objection? God does indeed already know 
your sins. But Jesus has said to His Apostles: You 
are to forgive or to retain sins. The priest is to judge; 
but then the sinner must confess. (Already 1500 years 
ago there were people who did not like to confess. In 
answer to that St. Augustine said: “Let no one say to 
himself: I do my penance in secret before God; God 
knows that I repent of my sins from all my heart; He 
will also forgive me. Did Christ, then, say in vain: 
Whatsoever you shall lose upon earth, is loosed also in 
Heaven ? Whoever speaks like that, takes away from 
Christ's words all their power and meaning.”) 

2. God wants Confession. We see that already 
in the case of the first sin. God said: “Adam, where 
art thou?” Why did God ask? He wanted to see 
whether Adam would confess his sin. God also asked 
Cain: “Where is thy brother Abel?” God knew all; 
but the murderer of his brother ought to confess. Of 
course, the stubborn fellow did not want to confess. 
The first Christians also confessed. We read of 
that in the Acts of the Apostles. In the city of 
Ephesus some Christians had been guilty of certain 


126 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


superstitious practises. St. Paul preached them a 
severe sermon for that conduct. Then many of the 
faithful came and confessed what they had been doing, 
(xix, 18). Do you see? They confessed their sins. 
Now, too, all Christians must confess—the priest, too, 
and the Bishop and the Pope. There is no exception 
here; before God we are all equal, we all are poor sin¬ 
ners. 

3. Perhaps later on you might hear it said: “The 
priests have invented Confession.” That is indeed 
true: some one has invented Confession, but not man; 
it was rather God's Son, Jesus Christ. We cannot be 
thankful enough for that. Many a poor sinner has 
not a single quiet hour any longer, until the poison 
of sin is removed from his soul. Here it is just like 
on a railway train, when a spark flies into your eye; 
that spark must come out no matter what the cost, 
otherwise you will not have any rest any longer, or the 
eye will even be lost. Of course, to confess is confus¬ 
ing and causes shame, especially when one has com¬ 
mitted a very detestable sin. Many a one for that very 
reason ceases to commit sin, because he thinks to him¬ 
self: Otherwise I must confess that again. But it is 
better to be ashamed now, than some day to stand 
in shame before God and His Holy Angels. 


LESSON XVII. 

The Graces of Confession. 

(Supplementary) 

Catechetical Unit: 

Which are the effects of the Sacrament of Penance? 

(N. B. The effects of the Sacrament of Penance have al¬ 
ready been alluded to briefly in Lesson XV. Since, however, 
this teaching is of such vast importance, the catechist must 
endeavor to impress the salutary effects of Confession upon 
the pupils in as clear and complete a manner as possible. Hence 
we supplement the Baltimore Catechism by the question and 
answer of our unit, which is taken from Deharbe’s Catechism.) 


THE GRACES OF CONFESSION 


127 


Preparation. Dear children, all Catholics of the 
whole world, who are worthy of the name, have the 
custom of frequently confessing their sins to a priest. 
This custom did not originate only a few years ago, 
but has always existed, that is, ever since the Catholic 
Church exists, this custom also has existed. Already 
in the fifth century St. John Chrysostom, a great 
Bishop of the Church, wrote these words: “Let us, 
therefore, imitate the Samaritan woman and let us 
not fear men (that is, the priests) in the confession 
of our sins, but let us fear God, who sees our evil 
deeds and will later on punish those, who refuse to 
do penance now. Let us not be ashamed to confess 
our sins; for great is the virtue of confession and 
strong its power.” So we might show from the writ¬ 
ings of the holy Fathers of the Church and from 
Church History, that this custom of confessing one’s 
sins to a priest has always existed in the Church. 
Now surely if this practise has always been in the 
Church from the very beginning, from whom could it 
have come? From no one except from Christ, the 
Lord. Why?—1. It would be possible to tell the name 
of the man, who invented Confession, also when and 
where it was first introduced. But no one can give 
any traces as to whom, or where or when Confession 
was first introduced. Then 2. no man could have in¬ 
vented it. Because the Christian people would not 
have allowed it. It is not a very pleasant thing to 
confess one’s sins to a priest. Now if a Pope, or 
Bishop, or priest had suddenly commanded: Hence¬ 
forth every one, who wishes to be saved, must confess 
his sins to a priest—what would have happened? The 
people would not have obeyed that order; on the con¬ 
trary, they would have said: You are inventing some¬ 
thing new in the Church. Our fathers did not go to 
Confession, and yet they went to Heaven; we too can 
be saved without Confession. Moreover, the Bishops 
would not have allowed such a false teaching to be 
spread among the faithful, for they are appointed by 


128 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Christ to teach His truths and to prevent any errors 
from arising in the Church. You see, then, that if no 
man could have invented that custom, and if this prac¬ 
tise has always been in the Church from the days of 
the Apostles, it could have come only from Christ 
Himself. Yes, so it is, as we learned in the last class. 
(Question the pupils briefly on the preceding lesson.) 

We must confess our sins; God wills it. But I prefer 
to say: We may confess our sins. Yes, for Holy Con¬ 
fession we cannot be grateful enough. Do you know 
why?— 

Aim. You will easily understand that, if I show 
you: what graces the penitent receives from God .— 
But first a little story of a great sinner. 

Presentation. Once there was a hotel-keeper, an old 
sinner. He took no delight in prayer, but as for curs¬ 
ing he had no equal. For a long time he had not 
seen the inside of a church. He took no time to go 
to church; his business was much dearer to him. 
Every Friday he enjoyed his meat just as on other 
days; he thought to himself: “What does Friday con¬ 
cern me?” Many another heavy load he had on his 
conscience. But this is enough. 

Suddenly, however, he became very serious and be¬ 
gan to think over the past. “Things cannot continue 
to go on like this any longer” he said to himself; “I 
must become a different man again, otherwise I will 
be lost. Tomorrow I will go to Confession.” No 
sooner said than done. 

Early in the morning he seated himself upon his 
horse, and hastened away to the nearest monastery. 
However, the nearer he came to his destination, the 
heavier did his heart become. Again and again the 
thought tortured him: “But what will the confessor 
say, if I have so many and such grievous sins?” Al¬ 
ready he was at the door of the monastery. Suddenly 
a deathly fear of Confession came over him, and he 
was about to turn back. But luckily one of the fathers 


THE GRACES OF CONFESSION 


129 


had seen him and surmised: “He must have something 
on his heart.” Kindly he called out to him: “Say, dear 
friend, be a man; just come in!” Then the poor sinner 
took new courage, and willingly as a little lamb he 
allowed himself to be led to the confessional. He be¬ 
gan to confess, and it took a long time before every¬ 
thing came out, and such sorrow did he feel in his soul, 
that he was almost at the point of weeping aloud. But 
when the priest spoke the holy words: “I absolve thee 
from thy sins,” suddenly he felt very happy at heart. 
“Thanks be to God!” he exclaimed, “that all is over.” 
He received Holy Communion, performed his devo¬ 
tions and then he turned homewards. 

On the way home he stroked his faithful horse and 
said: “So, dear little horse, now you are carrying a 
few hundred pounds less.” From that hour he lead a 
model Christian life. And when his time came to die, 
he had this message sent to that priest: “Since that 
Confession I have not committed a single venial sin 
willingly.” 

Explanation. 1. That man had been a wicked sin¬ 
ner. How do you* suppose his soul looked?—His soul 
was filled with detestable filth, as though soiled with 
the rubbish of Hell. The good God felt a real nausea 
at that soul; with detestation the holy Angels turned 
their faces away from it. It is very fortunate, that 
the poor sinner could not see his own soul; I believe, 
that he would have died for fear of that sight.—But 
the sinner was converted; he repented of his sinful 
life heartily, confessed all sincerely and wanted to 
amend his life and become a different man. Then the 
priest spoke the consoling and redeeming words: “I 
absolve thee from thy sins!” At that moment some¬ 
thing very wonderful took place.—The soul of that 
sinner was washed clean in the Blood of Jesus Christ, 
the Lamb of God; removed was all the filth of sin, the 
soul was pure again from sin. God forgave the sinner 
everything, all mortal and venial sins.—Do you see? 


130 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


That is the first great grace of Confession: The Sacra- 
ment of Penance remits the sins committed after Bap¬ 
tism. ( Repeat together; use the blackboard; see the 
diagram below just above the synthesis.) 

2. a) If that man had died in his sins, where would 
he be now?—Only with fear and trembling can one 
think of it: His sins would have dragged his soul 
down into the abyss of Hell; there it would have been 
buried forever in a sea of fire. Yes, Hell is open to 
him, who commits mortal sin. Already the wicked 
spirits lie in wait for his destruction; they stand at 
his death-bed ready to seize the soul, just as soon as it 
departs from the body, and drag it down into the 
eternal fire. So too would it have happened to that 
poor sinner. But things turned out differently. The 
sinner received holy absolution; now he was also 
absolved from eternal punishment . (Use the black¬ 
board.) Now Hell was closed and Heaven was opened. 
Do you see? God remitted the eternal punishment (of 
Hell). So it always happens in Confession: If mortal 
sin is taken away, then also eternal punishment is 
taken away. 

b) But I wonder, whether the soul at death would 
also have entered into Heaven immediately?—I think 
not. Generally God changes the eternal punishment 
into a temporal punishment, the fire of Hell into the 
fire of Purgatory. Most probably the soul would have 
been obliged to burn and suffer in Purgatory; but of 
course only for a time. Therefore we call Purgatory 
temporal punishment. Perhaps the man of our story 
had also to suffer much on earth; that too was a tem¬ 
poral punishment, an earthly Purgatory.—One thing 
more: The sinner deserved Purgatory also for his 
venial sins. Do you suppose that God absolved him 
also from these sins?—Most probably not entirely; 
generally God remits only a part of the temporal pun¬ 
ishment. That is the second great grace of Confes¬ 
sion : it remits at least a part of the temporal punish¬ 
ment due to our sins. (Use the blackboard.) 


THE GRACES OF CONFESSION 


131 


Let us put the two parts together: The Sacrament 
of Penance remits the eternal, and at least a part of 
the temporal, punishment due to our sins. ( Repeat 
together.) 

3. a) Now the soul was free from sins; that is a 
great grace. But the most beautiful grace is still to 
come: the soul was also made wonderfully beautiful. 
At the moment of absolution the Holy Ghost, the 
Divine Dispenser of grace, came and wrapped the soul 
in the shining garment of grace. Filled with admira¬ 
tion the Angels saw it and said to one another: “See! 
how beautiful the soul has become through the grace 
of God.” Yes, the soul was almost as beautiful again 
as after Holy Baptism; for it has received again the 
grace , which it had lost through mortal sin. ( Use the 
blackboard.) 

b) But frequently it happens, that the penitent 
comes to Confession with only venial sins upon his 
soul. Such a person is still in God's grace; for venial 
sin does not deprive the soul of sanctifying grace. 
Venial sin does indeed spot and soil the white garment 
of God's grace, but it does not take that garment away 
entirely from the soul. Only mortal sin does that. 
Now what happens to the soul in Confession, when it 
is stained only by venial sins?—I will tell you. When 
the priest speaks the words of absolution over such a 
soul, God gives that soul more sanctifying grace. He 
makes that soul appear more beautiful and pleasing 
by increasing sanctifying grace. You see, then, that 
the absolution of the priest increases sanctifying grace , 
if it is not lost. (Use the blackboard.) 

Let us repeat the whole answer together: The 
Sacrament of Penance restores, or, if it is not lost, it 
increases sanctifying grace. 

4. But that is not all yet. Just think of the 
words of jest, which the hotel-keeper spoke to his 
faithful horse.—He meant to say: I feel so light at 
heart now, as though several hundred pounds had 
been taken from my heart. Do you see? He had 


132 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


peace and happiness again in his soul. And now every¬ 
thing became easy for him: praying and fasting and 
going to church. Yes, so conscientiously did that man 
live, that he did not ever again commit even a venial 
sin willingly. Whence this pious Christian life? Alone 
he could never have accomplished it; God gave him 
special graces in Confession for that purpose.—The 
Sacrament of Penance also confers other particular 
graces to enable us to lead a holy life. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard.) 

Write on the blackboard: 

The graces of Confession: 

God forgives 

1) sins; 

2) the eternal punishment; 

3) the temporal punishment (entirely?) 

God gives 

1) ; lost grace, or increases grace, if it is not lost by 

mortal sin; 

2) special graces to lead a holy life. 

Synthesis. Wonderfully does holy absolution work 
in the heart of the sinner. After Confession man is 
as though new-born, regenerated. Great things are 
forgiven him: sin and punishment—great things are 
given him besides—God's grace. Which are the effects 
of the Sacrament of Penance?—Show me that again 
from our story!— (Have the pupils read the answer 
from the Catechism or blackboard. Assign the lesson 
for the next class.) 

Application. 1. On old confessionals one often 
sees beautiful pictures: Peter, Magdalen, the prodigal 
son. Why?—That is easy to understand.—Or one sees 
a little sheep caught among the thorns; it cannot help 
itself any longer and would surely have had to perish 


133 


THE GRACES OF CONFESSION 

miserably. But the shepherd kneels down and loosens 
the poor little sheep from the thorns; then he lays it 
joyfully on his shoulders and carries it back to the 
flock. What does that picture tell us? — The little 
sheep is the poor sinner. He has become eptangled in 
the thorn bush of sin and cannot help himself any 
more; he would have had to perish without a doubt. But 
then Jesus comes, the Good Shepherd. In Holy Con¬ 
fession He frees the poor sinner from the thorns of 
sin and adopts him again as His child and carries him 
back to the heavenly Father. Do you see the graces 
of Confession?—* 

One might also at times see the picture of the rais¬ 
ing of Lazarus from the grave. You know the story 
very well, do you not?—That picture has a beautiful 
meaning. Christ calls into the grave with a loud 
voice: “Lazarus, come forth!” Then the dead man 
arose and lived.—Whoever has committed mortal sin, 
has death in his soul; he lies, as it were, buried in the 
grave of sin. But the priest gives him holy absolution 
in the name of Christ. Then the sinner arises and 
lives: he has received again the life of grace in his 
soul. There we have the graces of Confession again.— 

2. You all were one day raised up from death to 
life—in Holy Baptism. At that time your soul re¬ 
ceived the precious heavenly garment of grace. Have 
you preserved it? Be vigilant! Many people say: 
“0! if only I had died as a child.” Then you would 
indeed have died as a child of grace and would have 
entered Heaven, but only the Heaven of children. Now 
you are already able to enter the Heaven of the Saints; 
the Heaven of the Saints is more beautiful than the 
Heaven of the children. Only remain always a child 
of God’s grace. 

(N. B. The graces of Confession might also he deduced 
without a special presentation from the parable of the prodigal 
son. Hence where one is pressed for time, this shorter way 
might be recommended. We append a short sketch showing 
how this instruction could be treated.) 


134 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Presentation. The kind reception of the prodigal 
son by his father is reviewed briefly. 

Explanation. 1. The father embraces and kisses the 
son; the sign of reconciliation. The father has for¬ 
given the guilt of the son.—At the moment of absolu¬ 
tion the heavenly Father embraces the sinner and for¬ 
gives him his whole guilt: the soul is made clean from 
sins. 

2. The prodigal son wants to serve his father as a 
servant; for he knows that he deserves punishment. 
But the good father has a ring given his son as a sign: 
Now thou art my son again! He also remits the pun¬ 
ishment of this ungrateful son.—Thus too does God 
pardon the sinner the punishment he owes: the soul 
is made free from the punishment due its sins: —from 
eternal punishment entirely, from temporal punish¬ 
ment, at least in part. 

3. The father calls out to his servants: “Bring forth 
quickly the first robe, and put it on him” (Luke xv, 
22).—Thus does the heavenly Father also say: “Bring 
the heavenly garment quickly!” Then the Holy Ghost 
—the Angels are His servants—covers the soul 
with the precious heavenly garment of grace. 

4. The father also says: “Put shoes upon his feet!” 
With good shoes one can walk well.—In Confession 
the sinner also receives new shoes, that is, new helps 
of God, so that he can advance again by a pious Chris¬ 
tian life, go forward on the way to Heaven. The soul 
becomes rich in graces : it receives the grace that was 
lost and besides that also special graces for a pious 
life. 

Application. The same as in the preceding lesson. 


REQUISITES FOR PENANCE 


1B5 


LESSON XVIII. 

Requisites for a Worthy Reception 
of Penance. 

Catechetical Unit: 

What must we do to receive the Sacrament of Pen¬ 
ance worthily? L. XVII, Q. 191. 

Preparation. Dear children, in an old story book 
one can read of a certain wonderful fountain. It 
says: Whoever bathes in that fountain, will be made 
well at once from every sickness. But he that is old 
and ugly, will become young again and beautiful; 
even the dead will be raised again to life immediately. 
—If there really were such a bath, such a health- 
resort, how from all parts of the world the sick, the 
old, the ugly would hasten thither, how from all quar¬ 
ters men would bring even the dead there! 

Now of course, there is no such bath for the body, 
no such health-resort; but, dear children, I do know 
of such a bath for the soul. Yes indeed! every human 
soul, that frequents this health-resort, that enters into 
this bath, is made well at once from all sickness, name¬ 
ly from sin, and becomes beautiful and young again; 
yes, it will receive again the life of grace and hence 
eternal life, if it has lost that life by mortal sin. You 
know what I mean: The Sacrament of Penance is 
indeed the fountain of youth, the health-resort of the 
soul. Let us review this teaching. (Question the 
pupils briefly on the foregoing lesson.) 

We receive the Sacrament of Penance, when we con¬ 
fess. But between Confession and Confession there is 
a great difference. Only he that confesses well and 
worthily, receives forgiveness of sin and the graces 
of the Sacrament. There are bad and disobedient 
children. Instead of giving joy to their father and 
mother, they only cause them heart-ache and embitter 
their life. At home in the house of their parents such 
children do not feel very happy and content; they 


136 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

imagine, that it is much better with strangers. But 
when they get in need and misery, they begin to com¬ 
plain: “Oh! if only I had remained at home with my 
good parents. Father and mother really meant it well 
with me! But now I am abandoned; no one wants me; 
no one wants to help me!” 

Aim. Jesus once told us an incomparably beautiful 
parable about just such a wicked son—the parable of 
the prodigal son. First I am going to tell you this 
parable. From it we can learn: 1 ) How good the dear 
Lord is to us poor sinners , and 2) what a person needs 
to make a good Confession . 

Presentation. A man had two sons. The younger 
said to his father: “Father, give me the portion of my 
inheritance, that falleth to me.” The father divided 
unto him his substance. Not many days after the 
younger son, gathering all together, went abroad into 
a far country; and there he wasted his substance liv¬ 
ing riotously. 

After he had spent all, there came a mighty famine 
in all that country, and he began to be in want. What 
was he to do now? In his need he went to one of the 
citizens of that country and hired out with him. And 
he sent him into his farm to feed the swine. Here he 
would have liked to fill his belly with the husks the 
swine did eat: and no man gave them to him. Oh! 
how did not all things change so quickly. 

Now he entered into himself and said: “How many 
hired servants in my father's house abound with 
bread, and I here perish with hunger? I will arise 
and will go to my father, and say to him: Father, I 
have sinned against Heaven and before thee! I am 
not worthy now to be called thy son: make me as one 
of thy hired servants." And rising up he came to his 
father. 

The father saw him when he was yet a far way off 
and was moved with compassion. He ran to him, fell 
upon his neck and kissed him. But the son said to 


REQUISITES FOR PENANCE 137 

him: “Father! I have sinned against Heaven and be¬ 
fore thee. I am not now worthy to be called thy son!” 
But the father said to his servants: “Bring forth 
quickly the first robe and put it on him, and put a ring 
on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring hither 
the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and make 
merry. Because this my son was dead, and is come 
to life again: was lost and is found!” ( Show the 

:pupils a large picture of this scene,) 

Explanation. 

A. God's Love and Mercy for the Sinner . 

Now I am going to explain this parable to you.— 
The younger son demanded his share of his inherit¬ 
ance from his father. (He had a claim to a third part 
of the possessions.) What do you suppose he thought 
to himself?—Then I shall be free; my father cannot 
say anything against me; I shall not have to work any 
longer and can eat and drink to my heart’s content! 
The father did as the son desired. But how his heart 
must have bled at the same time: Poor son! You 
will yet realize what you are doing; you will have to 
repent for this. How glad you will be, if you are 
allowed to return to your father’s house! 

Now the son was rich. He lived carelessly from day 
to day, worked no longer, prayed no more; only to eat 
and drink and enjoy himself, as though every day 
were a wedding day, that was his only labor. But how 
quickly did not things change? What happened?— 
Do you see ? Before he was a rich man in fine clothing 
and now—a beggar in dirty and torn clothing; before 
he had food and drink in abundance and now—the 
feed given to the swine would have been good enough 
for him. What was he to do? He can not help him¬ 
self. Then he arises; he wants to return to his father. 
But what will the father say? Will he pardon me? 
Will he turn me out: Away, you good for nothing 
fellow, I will have nothing further to do with you! 


138 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

Ever greater does his fear become, the nearer he comes 
to his father's house. But what is that? Why the 
father is coming! Yes, the love of the father for his 
son does not allow him rest any longer; again and 
again does he seek the lost son. Finally he sees him 
coming in the distance. “Yes, it is he!” Then he 
cannot wait any longer; he runs forward to meet him, 
as fast as his old feet can carry him, embraces him, 
kisses him and weeps for joy: My son, only that you 
are here again! The father had forgiven him all. 
How do you know that?—The son receives a festive 
garment and a ring and shoes; and moreover, a festive 
meal is prepared. Dear children, a good father is he 
not? 

But the parable is only the shelL We must now take 
out the kernel. Pay attention to what Jesus wishes to 
teach you! 

Who, do you suppose, is that good father?—It is 
God, the heavenly Father; but the prodigal son is he 
that commits mortal sin. Such a one no longer wants 
to remain with God, he prefers to run after evil and 
wastes his entire inheritance: the heavenly garment 
of grace and the right to Heaven and all merits. Thus 
he becomes as poor as a beggar and cannot help him¬ 
self any longer:—he is the prodigal son. Then he re¬ 
turns, full of contrition, to God. What will the hea¬ 
venly Father say? Will he turn him out? To be sure 
sin did grieve the good God; but He is ready to pardon 
all and full of joy He says to His angels: “This my 
son was dead and is become alive again; he was lost 
and is found again.”—Do you see? Children, God is 
the best of Fathers. God is merciful; He pardons 
gladly all truly repentant sinners. Full of love and 
mercy He is waiting for you. Therefore do not fear, 
but rejoice that you are allowed to go to Holy Con¬ 
fession ! 

Now I am going to show you briefly, what the pen¬ 
itent needs for a good Confession. 


REQUISITES FOR PENANCE 139 

B. The Prodigal Son—A Model for the Penitent. 

1. In his misery the prodigal son entered into him¬ 
self. What does that mean?—I believe, that he thought 
again of God and began to pray; for necessity teaches 
one to pray. (Therefore he wanted to say to his fath¬ 
er: “I have sinned against Heaven.”)—' The penitent 
must also first think of God and pray. Without pray¬ 
er one cannot confess well. For Confession one needs 
God’s blessing. Remember, then: Pray before Con¬ 
fession! (Use the blackboard.) 

2. The prodigal son entered into himself; there is 
something else contained in these words.—He also 
thought over his past life: How happy I was at home 
with my father and how miserable I am now! How 
good was not my father to me, and how have I acted 
to my father! Do you see? Now suddenly his con¬ 
science began to stir.—The penitent must also enter 
into himself. You must think over all the evil that you 
have done; you must look into your conscience and 
examine it; you must think earnestly, so that all your 
sins may come to your mind. That is the second thing: 
The penitent must call to mind the evil that he has 
done. Our Catechism says: To receive the Sacrament 
of Penance worthily we must examine our conscience. 
{Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

3. But it is not enough to think of one’s sins; the 
chief thing is to feel sorry for having sinned. The 
prodigal son felt sorry in his heart for having been so 
wicked and ungrateful. Therefore he wanted to say: 
“Father! I am now not worthy any longer to be called 
thy son.” And then when he sat there with his herd 
of swine so lonely and forsaken in the field, I believe, 
that he wept bitterly many a time. What do those 
tears tell you?—He had contrition in his heart.—The 
penitent also needs contrition. You all have already 
had contrition. How did you feel then at heart? The 
evil, which you did, grieved and hurt you in your soul, 


140 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

did it not, and you thought or said: “Oh! if only I had 
not done that.” That is contrition for sin. To receive 
the Sacrament of Penance worthily we must have sor- 
row for our sins. ( Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board.) 

4. But contrition is not yet sufficient. Just think 
of the prodigal son! He said to himself: “ I will arise 
and go to my father!” He meant: I know indeed, that 
I have grieved my father's heart terribly. But my 
father is so good, and I am after all his child; he will 
not reject me. Do you see? He had a childlike con¬ 
fidence or trust. And what did he resolve to do at 
the same time?—If my father receives me again, I 
will become an entirely different man; never again 
will I cause him such sorrow: that is my firm resolu¬ 
tion.—Thus also must the penitent resolve to do: I am 
going to become a different person. Henceforth I am 
going to be a good child of God and I will not grieve 
my Father in Heaven any more. That is the good 
resolution to sin no more: I will amend my life in all 
earnestness. To receive the Sacrament of Penance 
worthily we must make a firm resolution never more 
to offend God. ( Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

5. With a heavy heart the prodigal son returned to 
his home. Scarcely did he see his father, when he fell 
down at his feet and said: “Father, I have sinned 
against Heaven and before thee. I am now not worthy 
to be called thy son any longer.” Do you see? Now 
he had confessed his grievous fault to his father; but 
the father forgave his repentant son all his guilt.—In 
just the same way must the penitent kneel down before 
his heavenly Father and tell all his sins openly 
to the confessor. Then God also will be ready to for¬ 
give and He will say in a very fatherly manner: My 
dear child! Let us remember, therefore: The peni¬ 
tent must sincerely confess his sins. Yes, to receive 
the Sacrament of Penance worthily we must confess 
our sins to the priest. ( Repeat together; use the 
blackboard.) 


REQUISITES FOR PENANCE 141 

6. The prodigal son also said to his father: 
“Father! make me as one of thy hired servants.” But 
why serve as a hired servant? He knew very well: 
Even though my father does forgive me, all is not yet 
over; I caused much grief of heart to my father, and 
I must also do penance for that.—Likewise all is not 
over after Confession. The penitent must also do 
penance, or make satisfaction. Therefore he receives 
a penance from the confessor. This penance is also 
called satisfaction: The sinner ought to do so much, 
that it is sufficient in God’s sight. To receive the 
Sacrament of Penance worthily we must accept the 
penance which the priest gives us. (Repeat together; 
use the blackboard.) 

Write on the blackboard: 

To receive the Sacrament of Penance worthily we 

must: 

1) pray to the Holy Ghost for light; 

2) examine our conscience; 

3) feel sorry for our sins (have contrition) ; 

4) resolve to amend our life; 

5) confess to the priest; 

6) perform the penance imposed. 

Synthesis. The prodigal son is a model for the pen¬ 
itent. The prodigal son entered into himself and be¬ 
gan to pray again; the penitent too must pray before 
Confession. The prodigal son thought over his life; 
the penitent too must think over his sins or examine 
his conscience. The prodigal son felt sorry for his 
wicked life; the penitent too must repent of his sins. 
The prodigal son wanted to begin a new life; the peni¬ 
tent too must earnestly resolve to amend his life. The 
prodigal son confessed his sins to his father; the peni¬ 
tent too must confess his sins to the confessor. The 


142 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


prodigal son wanted to become a hired servant and so 
do penance; the penitent too must do penance after 
Confession. These are the six requirements for the 
worthy reception of the Sacrament of Penance. Now 
tell me: What must we do to receive the Sacrament of 
Penance worthily?—( Have the pupils read the answer 
from the Catechism. Assign the lesson for the next 
class.) 

Application. Think again of the prodigal son! He 
never felt happy in his misery; he no longer had a 
single peaceful hour. Something drove him by force, 
as it were, to his father's house and his father's heart. 
And when the good father lovingly pressed him to his 
heart and kissed him, he was all beside himself with 
joy. 

So too does it happen to many a sinner. He is never 
happy in his sins; nowhere does he find peace for his 
poor soul. Finally he goes to Confession. The con¬ 
fessor absolves him from his sins. At that moment 
the heavenly Father gives him the kiss of peace. Now 
the penitent may say again with all his heart and 
pray: “Our Father!" 0! how happy the sinner feels at 
heart. Many a one would like to weep for joy.—All 
of you have already done wrong. Did you not feel, 
how sin gnaws into the soul? It is like a greedy worm. 
But rejoice, your heart can be set at rest in Holy 
Penance. Pray each day for the grace of always mak¬ 
ing a good Confession. Say one Our Father for that 
special intention. The dear Lord will bless your good 
will. 


EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE 143 


LESSON XIX. 

Examination of Conscience. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) What must we do before the examination of con¬ 
science? L. XVII, Q. 194. 

2) How can we make a good examination of con¬ 
science? L. XVII, Q. 193. 

3) What is the examination of conscience? L. XVH, 
Q. 192. 

4) Against what faults are we to guard in the ex¬ 
amination of conscience? (Deharbe.) 

Preparation. Dear children, from the story of the 
prodigal son we learned the lesson: What must we 
do in order to receive the Sacrament of Penance wor¬ 
thily? Let us review this teaching. ( Question the 
pupils briefly on the foregoing lesson.) —In this story 
it is said of the prodigal son: “He entered into him¬ 
self.” What is the meaning of that? — He thought 
about his wicked life: what he had done to his good 
father and how he had wasted his money simply in 
feasting and drinking and gambling. Now all that 
weighed heavily upon his heart.—Just as the prodigal 
son so also the sinner must think over his life: the 
penitent must examine his conscience, so that all his 
sins may come into his mind. About that we are to 
learn now—about the examination of conscience. You 
are perhaps a little curious as to how that can be done. 
Just pay strict attention! You ought to consider it a 
matter of honor—to learn how to confess well. 

Aim.—First I am going to tell you, how a good boy 
prepared himself for his First Holy Confession. 

Preparation. Easter was near. In a few days the 
children were to be permitted to go to First Holy 
Confession. All were happy because of it. To have 


144 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

one’s heart made pure from sin and to obtain the 
heavenly garment of grace and to be made a child of 
God—who would not rejoice over that! To be sure 
many a penitent felt not a little afraid and said to him¬ 
self anxiously: I wonder will I do all things properly? 

Thus too a certain good boy felt. But then he said 
to himself: I am going to pray, pray very fervently; 
then the good God will surely help me. That very 
same evening he went into the church. No one was 
there but the dear Saviour. Very kindly just like the 
friendly evening star the sanctuary lamp shone 
before the tabernacle, as though it wished to say: 
Child, come here! Here your Jesus lives. The boy 
knelt down before the altar and prayed with all his 
heart: “0 dear Jesus! I am a poor, sinful child. But 
I want, Oh ! so very much, to confess well; give me Thy 
blessing!” Then he continued to pray as he had 
learned in school: “Come, 0 Holy Ghost, enlighten my 
mind, that I may know my sins; and move my heart 
that I may properly repent of them, sincerely confess 
them, and truly amend my life. 0 Mary, my Mother, 
give me Thy blessing! Holy Guardian Angel, assist 
me!” 

Thus did the boy pray. Now he commenced to 
think. That was not so very difficult; for the catechist 
had already explained everything well. He called to 
mind his past life, as far as he was able, and then he 
asked himself: What sins did I commit against 
the first Commandment of God ? How did I sin 
against the second Commandment ? Thus did he 
go through all the Commandments of God one after 
the other; besides that also the Commandments of the 
Church and the seven capital sins. Nearly every¬ 
where did he find some little fault. For nearly an 
hour he examined his conscience and remembered all 
his sins and was heartily sorry for them. 

Finally the day for Confession arrived. The boy 
began to confess; but the heart of the little sinner beat 
violently at the same time. However, the confessor 


EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE 145 

was kind and good as Jesus, the Divine Friend of little 
children. And so quickly all anxiety was gone. When 
the priest gave him holy absolution for the first time, 
this little penitent felt as light and happy in his soul 
as the prodigal son in the arms of his father. 

Explanation. 1. Do you think that the good God 
was satisfied?—The boy wanted to confess. But he 
knew very well: Alone I cannot do it right; God must 
help me to think, to repent, to amend and to confess. 
Therefore he began the examination of conscience by 
calling upon, invoking, the Holy Ghost. That is right: 
Before Confession you ought to pray. 

The Divine Saviour once related the story of a 
woman, who had lost a drachme (a coin). She took 
a light and a broom and looked through the whole 
house; she turned the light into every corner and swept 
everywhere, until finally the lost coin had been found. 
Then she had great joy.—Thus too must the penitent 
first have a light. The Holy Ghost must let His light 
of grace shine into your soul; then your sins will come 
to your memory.—Before beginning the examination 
of conscience we should pray to God to give us light to 
know our sins and the grace to detest them. ( Repeat 
together; use the blackboard; see the diagram below 
just above the synthesis.) 

Many act, of course, as though things go well even 
without prayer. Just listen! Your face is covered 
with dirt spots. You look at yourself in the mirror. 
If it is bright day, you will see even the tiniest spot; 
but if it is pitch dark, you will see nothing; yes, per¬ 
haps you will even imagine, that you are beautiful and 
clean. Sins are stains on the soul. If the light of 
grace of the Holy Ghost shines into the soul, you will 
easily find your sins; without His heavenly light it is 
dark night in your soul, and you will not know your 
sins properly.— (Or hold a glass of water in the sun¬ 
light, and you will see every speck of dirt floating in it. 


146 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Let your heart be enlightened with the light of the 
grace of the Holy Ghost, and you will easily discover 
every little spot of sin.) 

Do you now see how necessary the Holy Ghost is for 
you? The Holy Ghost must enlighten the heart, so 
that our sins may come into our mind. We must, 
therefore, first pray.—But the chief thing is that we 
are displeased with our sins, and that we do not fall 
back into them again. For that reason we need the 
Holy Ghost also, otherwise the heart will remain cold 
and stiff like a piece of ice. The Holy Ghost must 
make the heart warm and soft, so that we may repent 
of our sins and confess them sincerely and resolve 
earnestly to amend our life. How, then, do we pray 
to the Holy Ghost?— 

2. First to pray and then to think. That is how the 
boy of our story acted. How did he examine his con¬ 
science?—He went through the Ten Commandments 
one after the other; then also the precepts of the 
Church, the seven capital sins, and finally he also 
looked over the duties of his state in life, that is, at 
home and in school. At each Commandment and duty 
he thought a little while and asked himself: Did I do 
anything bad in thought, word, deed, or omission? 
Thus one can easily examine one's conscience. Let us 
also learn it in that way. Our Catechism says: We can 
make a good examination of conscience by calling to 
memory the Commandments of God, the precepts of 
the Church, the seven capital sins, and the particular 
duties of our state in life, to find out the sins we have 
committed. (Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

3. But you would very much like to know: How long 
a time ought I to take examining my conscience? That 
depends; it is not the same for everyone. The boy of 
our story took nearly an hour for his First Holy Con¬ 
fession. That surely is enough. But if one confesses 
frequently, every week or two, fifteen minutes are long 
enough. But the boy of our story thought over his 


EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE 147 

sins earnestly. The dear Lord demands that. For 
the examination of conscience is an earnest effort to 
recall to mind all the sins we have committed since our 
last worthy confession. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard.) For that purpose the boy went specially 
into the church; there he was all alone with Jesus. 
That is right and that pleases God. But the penitent 
can also examine his conscience at home. Of course, in 
that case he ought to seek a quiet place, where he is all 
alone and can think without being disturbed. 

4. But not all penitents take things as seriously and 
conscientiously as this boy; there are also careless 
children. They act like poor fishermen, who draw the 
net quickly over the surface of the water. What will 
they catch? Little or nothing at all. Thus too do 
many children act in examining their conscience. They 
think only hastily and on the surface, as it were, about 
their sins and then they go to Confession. That is a 
great mistake; that can easily become a bad Confes¬ 
sion. We ought to guard against the fault of examin¬ 
ing ourselves too hastily and superficially. (Repeat 
together; use the blackboard.) No, the penitent ought 
to act as fishermen, who understand how to fish. Did 
you ever watch them? They do not draw the net over 
the surface of the water, superficially; no, they let the 
net deep down into the water, and then they make a 
rich haul. So too must the penitent look deeply down 
into his heart and examine it earnestly and thorough¬ 
ly; then he will make a good Confession. 

Some people do too little before Confession — they 
are careless; others do too much—they are scrupulous. 
Yes, there are penitents, who never get finished with 
their examination of conscience. But from all such 
inquiry nothing results except anxiety, scrupulosity. 
That also is a mistake: We must avoid becoming too 
scrupulous in our examination of conscience. (Repeat 
together; use the blackboard.) To be conscientious, 
that is right; to be scrupulous, that God does not want. 


148 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Only do your share, and God will do His part: exam¬ 
ine yourself earnestly, God will pardon you. 

Write on the blackboard : 

1. Pray—“Come, Holy Ghost!” 

2. Think carefully — Commandments of God, pre¬ 

cepts of Church, seven capital sins, duties of 
state in life. 

3. Examination of conscience—earnest effort to re¬ 

call our sins since last worthy Confession. 

4. Examination of conscience—a) not superficial or 

hasty; b) not scrupulous. 

Synthesis. For a good Confession six things are 
necessary. We have learned about two of them today: 
to pray and to examine one's conscience. How ought 
one to begin one's examination of conscience ?—How 
can one make a good examination of conscience ?— 
What do you mean by an examination of conscience ?— 
Against what faults ought we to be on our guard when 
examining our conscience?—( Have the pupils read 
the answers from the Catechism and blackboard. As- 
sign the lesson for the next class.) 

Application. 1. Here is a person that wants to con¬ 
fess. The last child has just entered into the confes¬ 
sional. This person thinks for a few moments, recalls 
a few gross sins and begins at once to confess. After¬ 
wards he tells his friends: 'Today I had good luck; 
my turn came at once to go to Confession." What do 
you think of that?—When did you call on the Holy 
Ghost ? When did you examine your conscience ? And 
where is your contrition? You imagine indeed, that 
God will be satisfied with that. No, for the good God 
only the very best is good enough. It is better not to 
confess at all than to confess badly.—But I have also 
seen children, who read their sins from a prayer-book 
or a table of sins. They thought to themselves: O! that 


EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE 


149 


is the right thing to do. What do you think of that?— 
You must think over your sins and confess your sins. 

2. Without the Holy Ghost there is no good Confes¬ 
sion. He must help us with His heavenly light and 
His heavenly strength, then all will be right. There¬ 
fore honor and venerate the Holy Ghost fervently. 
Henceforth pray very frequently: ‘‘Come, Holy 
Ghost, and enlighten me!” 


LESSON XX. 

Detailed Examination of Conscience. 
Catechetical Unit: 

1) In what manner should we examine our con¬ 
science? (Deharbe.) 

2) Must we also examine ourselves on the number 
and the circumstances of our sins ? (Deharbe.) 

(N. B. The following instructions, which are intended to 
serve as a guide to the examination of conscience, require a 
short explanation. “Much too detailed! I have no time for aU 
that!”—thus a voice here and there will protest. It is indeed 
true, that to devote at least three whole lessons to the examina¬ 
tion of conscience is much, but not too much. Such a serious 
matter is also worthy of serious effort. Why are Confessions 
of adults often so defective and superficial? Defective instruc¬ 
tion of children, especially in their earlier years, is the chief 
cause of this common fault. The harm done by negligence in 
this regard is not often remedied, as experience shows. There¬ 
fore let this early instruction for Confession be as thorough as 
possible! A careful sowing of the seed, will generally also 
bring a good harvest. _ . . 

The chief danger with regard to children’s Confessions is 
lifeless routine, mechanical procedure. This stumbling-block 
must be avoided. Children ought to learn and therefore to be 
stimulated to think about themselves, and then to accuse them¬ 
selves of their faults, as far as possible, in their own words. 
Every Confession ought to bear the individual impress of the 
child, so that the confessor may be able to obtain a deeper in¬ 
sight into the failings and the troubles of the child heart. This 
ideal has been kept in mind and aimed at in the preparation of 
these instructions. 


150 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


A much mooted question of late is whether the children should 
make their examination of conscience with the aid of some table 
of sins. Whatever might be said on this subject from the 
theoretical viewpoint, as a matter of fact, circumstances are 
mostly such that the children must be given a table of sins. 
But it must answer its purpose, and be in reality a help. And 
even when it does answer all requirements, it must be carefully 
explained to the children. It should never be made to take the 
place entirely of oral instruction. With these principles in mind 
we advise the use of the leaflet “A Method of Confession,” which 
we have prepared on the basis of the instructions developed 
below. 

Let it be borne in mind, however, that the subjoined exam¬ 
ination of conscience is meant only for children in the inter¬ 
mediate grades. Later on—in the higher grades—the examina¬ 
tion of conscience must be correspondingly amplified, but the 
required additions should make an organic whole with the rest. 
For children should confess as children, youth as youths, and 
men as men. Evidently this table of sins could not be arranged 
to suit all possible local or individual needs. That must be left 
to the good judgment of the prudent catechist. 

At the end of each instruction a brief motive for contrition 
should be placed by the catechist. The reason for this addition 
is threefold: first, the children are, of course, best disposed to 
contrition, when they have the individual sins clearly before 
their eyes; secondly, thus they learn best of all how to make a 
good act of contrition; and thirdly, thereby they are convinced 
that contrition is the chief thing in Confession.) 

Preparation. Dear children, a careless Catholic 
went one morning to church to confess his sins. But 
when he had entered the Lord's house, he went at 
once directly into the confessional, without having 
made any preparation. Kneeling down before the 
confessor he began: “Father, please hear my Confes¬ 
sion.” “Certainly,” answered the priest, “but remem¬ 
ber that God will also hear you!” The man became 
very frightened at these words, and said: “If God will 
also hear my Confession, surely I must examine my 
conscience more and think of what I intend to say!” 
Yes, children, it is God, Who hears our Confession. 
Therefore we ought to prepare well for it, especially 
by making a good examination of conscience. We heard 
of that in the last class. Let us review it briefly. 

(Question the pupils on the foregoing lesson .)—But it 
is very important to know how to make a good exam¬ 
ination of conscience. 


EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE 151 


Aim. That is what I intend to show you today: 
how you ought to examine your conscience before each 
Confession. 

Presentation, Explanation, Application. 

I. 

Let us suppose that you are about to go to Con¬ 
fession. First you go to some quiet place, preferably 
the church, where you will be alone and undisturbed. 
Yes, rather postpone your Confession for another day, 
than examine your conscience only superficially and 
carelessly. Do not forget that. 

Then kneel down and pray, briefly but devoutly, 
to the Holy Ghost. You might recite this prayer: 
“Come, 0 Holy Ghost, enlighten my mind, that I may 
rightly know my sins; and move my heart, that I may 
properly repent of them, sincerely confess them, and 
amend my life. Amen.” Or recite five Our Fathers 
and Hail Marys. Never omit to pray before making 
your examination. 

Now if you really wish to examine your conscience 
for Confession, what must you do first of all ? You 
must know when your last worthy Confession took 
place. Therefore, think of your last Confession. Ask 
yourself: When was my last Confession? Suppose it 
took place two weeks ago, how would you say it? 

The next important question to ask yourself is this: 
Did I make a good Confession ? That means: Did I 
examine my conscience properly before my last Con¬ 
fession? Did I have true sorrow for my sins? Did I 
make a firm purpose of amendment, or did I firmly 
resolve to avoid all mortal sins, and the near occasions 
of sin? Did I confess all my sins, at least all my mor¬ 
tal sins, sincerely and honestly? Did I forget any 
mortal sin? Did I wilfully conceal any mortal sin? 
Did I say the penance, which the confessor gave me 
to say? 


152 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


If your conscience tells you—Yes, you made a good 
Confession—you need only to think of the sins, which 
you have committed since your last Confession. 

But let us suppose that your conscience tells you: 
You did not make a good Confession. You concealed 
a mortal sin, because you were ashamed to tell it; or 
did not really intend to avoid this or that mortal sin. 
What must you do in that case? 

You must ask yourself further: Were perhaps 
some of my other Confessions also bad? When did I 
make my last good Confession? Suppose that you 
discover that the last three Confessions were bad and 
that you made the last worthy Confession three 
months ago. What must you do now? You must re¬ 
call to your mind (and confess) : “I made three bad 
Confessions (and Communions)Then you are 
bound in conscience to examine yourself in regard to 
all the (mortal) sins, which you have committed for 
the last three months and also those sins which you 
have confessed in those three bad Confessions. Be 
sure to tell the confessor that at the very beginning 
of your Confession. He will then help you to say the 
rest properly. Remember, therefore: We should ex¬ 
amine when it was that we last made a good Confes¬ 
sion, and whether we performed the penance then laid 
upon us. (Repeat together). 

II. 

Now begins the examination of conscience properly 
so-called. In thought go through the table of sins, 
Commandment by Commandment, sin by sin, slowly 
and carefully. Pause a little at each sin and think 
whether you have committed that sin or not. Ask 
yourself: How can one sin against this Command¬ 
ment? Did I really think, say, do, or omit to do any¬ 
thing, which God (or the Church) commands me not 
to do or not to omit to do? You see, therefore: 


EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE 153 

We should go through the Commandments of God, the 
precepts of the Church, the seven capital sins, and 
the particular duties of our state in life, carefully ex¬ 
amining whether we have offended God by thoughts, 
words, actions, or omissions. (Repeat together). 

III. 

If you find, that you have committed mortal sins , 
you must also ask yourself the question: How often 
did I commit that sin? How many times in a day, or 
in a week, or in a month, or how often have I done 
that altogether since my last worthy Confession? 
Moreover, was there anything I did then, which made 
that sin worse and more grievous? You know that a 
person who steals $100 commits a much worse sin 
than a person who steals only an apple. Likewise 
a person, who commits impure things before other 
people, is guilty of a more grievous sin, than a per¬ 
son, who does such things alone. Therefore, at times 
certain circumstances make our sin much worse and 
more grievous than at other times. Do not forget, 
therefore: We must also examine ourselves on the 
number and the circumstances of our sins, at least 
when they are mortal. (Repeat together). 

But with regard to venial sins it is not necessary 
to examine yourself about the number and the cir¬ 
cumstances. However, it is better to tell the number 
at least; for often you do not know clearly whether 
a certain sin is mortal or only venial, and you might 
easily omit to tell the number of your mortal sins, if 
you do not accustom yourself to telling the number. 

Once you discover your sins, be sure to impress them 
at once on your memory. The other sins, which you 
find in the table of sins and which you have not com¬ 
mitted, you need not confess. Therefore, you may 
pass over them at once and go immediately to the next 
sin. 

(N. B. The catechist will follow the questions and answers 
of the Baltimore Catechism, with the supplementary answers 


154 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


from the Catechism of Deharbe, according to the explanations 
given in the volume on “The Commandments Explained.” We 
reproduce the pertinent questions and answers in extenso for 
the greater convenience of the teacher. The catechist ought 
to mention all the sins tabulated against the various Command¬ 
ments, even though the pupils of the intermediate grades do 
not commit them, for the catechist must prepare his pupils 
for the future. However, special insistence must be laid upon 
the sins, which concern the pupils here and now. We have 
included only the latter sins in the table of sins to be given 
the children. For practical reasons the catechist will have 
individual pupils make a public Confession of the sins in ques¬ 
tion in order to get them used to telling the sins in their own 
words. After each Commandment has been gone through, the 
pupils will make an examination of their own conscience. Then 
they will write their sins on a piece of paper. Have them cross 
out (and destroy) the list at the end of the lesson. Be care¬ 
ful also that they do not look at one another’s list. Tell the 
children, that you do not want to see the list, because you are 
not their confessor now.) 

You must go through the Ten Commandments of 
God, the six precepts of the Church, the seven capital 
sins, and the particular duties of your state in life. But 
how will you go about this? You already know from 
your Catechism what God (or the Church) commands 
in each Commandment and what He forbids, or how 
one can sin against each Commandment. Therefore, 
call to memory and ask yourself: Did I do that? How 
often did I commit that sin? Let me show you that 
more clearly. 

Against the First Commandment of God. 

1. What is the first Commandment of God? The 
first Commandment of God is: “I am the Lord, thy 
God; thou shalt not have strange gods before Me.” 

What are we commanded by the first Command¬ 
ment? By the first Commandment we are command¬ 
ed to pay to Almighty God due honor and adoration. 
In one word: we are obliged to practise our holy reli¬ 
gion. God wants us to honor and adore Him with 
body and soul, exteriorly and interiorly. 

But how do we adore God? We adore God by faith, 
hope and charity, by prayer and sacrifice. 

How do we adore God interiorly? We adore God 


EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE 155 

interiorly by acts of faith, hope, charity and prayer. 
Interior religion. 

How do we adore God exteriorly? We adore God ex¬ 
teriorly by devoutly assisting at divine services, by 
folding the hands, by genuflecting, by taking holy 
water, by praying aloud, by singing, by our devout 
behaviour during religious exercises, and especially 
by sacrifice. 

2. Now let us recall the principal sins against the 
first Commandment. 

a) Let us begin with sins against the duty of Prayer. 
You know that we sin against the duty of prayer, either 
when we do not pray at all, or when we pray badly. 
Therefore, ask yourself: 

Was I careless about saying my morning prayers? 
my evening prayers ? grace before and after meals ? 

Did I think of other things during my prayers ? Or 
as we can also say: Did I pray with attention and de¬ 
votion? 

Did I disturb others during prayer? 

Did I become angry, when I was told to pray? 

b) Are sins against faith, hope and charity also 
sins against the first Commandment? Sins against 
faith, hope and charity are also sins against the first 
Commandment. 

How does a person sin against Faith? A person 
sins against Faith, (1) by not trying to know what God 
has taught; (2) by refusing to believe all that God 
has taught, and (3) by neglecting to profess his be¬ 
lief in what God has taught. Ask yourself: 

Did I neglect to study my Catechism? 

Did I listen to wicked companions speak against , or 
make fun of our holy religion? 

Did I myself take part in such talk? 

Did I read, or spread, bad books, or newspapers 
against our holy religion? 

Did I entertain wilful doubts against our holy re¬ 
ligion? 

Was I ashamed to profess my holy religion, for ex- 


156 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


ample, by eating meat on a Friday, because others 
might laugh at me, if I did not eat meat ? 

Which are the sins against Hope? The sins against 
Hope are presumption and despair. 

What is presumption? Presumption is a rash ex¬ 
pectation of salvation without making the proper use 
of the necessary measures to obtain it. 

What is despair? Despair is the loss of hope in 
God’s mercy. Ask yourself: 

Did 1 keep on committing sin , thinking that I could 
confess it again? 

Did 1 think my sins were too great to be forgiven, 
by God? 

How do we sin against the Love of God? We sin 
against the Love of God by all sins, but particularly by 
all mortal sin. You remember, also, that we learned 
that we sin against the Love of God, or against the 
charity we owe to God, by being careless and luke¬ 
warm, indifferent, in the practise of our holy religion; 
also by murmuring and complaining against God, when 
things do not go according to our wishes. But the 
worst sin of all is hatred of God. Ask yourself: 

Was I careless and indifferent in the practise of 
our holy religion? 

Did I murmur against God, when things did not go 
according to my wishes? 

Did I even hate God, when He did not give me what 
I wanted, or when He sent trials upon me? 

c) How else may the first Commandment be broken? 
The first Commandment may also be broken by giving 
to a creature the honor, which belongs to God; by 
false worship, and by attributing to a creature a per¬ 
fection, which belongs to God alone. You remem¬ 
ber, therefore, that there are three kinds of sins for¬ 
bidden by this answer: idolatry, false worship and 
superstitution. 

You do not, of course, commit the terrible sin of 
idolatry. But perhaps you are guilty of false wor¬ 
ship. Ask yourself: 


EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE 157 

Did 1 go to a Protestant church and take part in 
the praying and singing? 

Do those who make use of spells and charms, or who 
believe in dreams, in mediums, spiritists, fortune-tell¬ 
ers, and the like, sin against the first Commandment ? 
Those who make use of spells and charms, or who be¬ 
lieve in dreams, in mediums, spiritists, fortune-tellers 
and the like, sin agaist the first Commandment, be¬ 
cause they attribute to creatures perfections, which 
belong to God alone. Ask yourself: 

Did I believe in dreams? 

In what other way was 1 superstitious? 

Now, dear children, make an examination of your 
own conscience. Write down on your note paper the 
sins which you have committed against this Command¬ 
ment, just as you would tell them to the confessor. 
Now cross them out. Thus are your sins blotted out 
in Holy Confession. The Holy Ghost washes them 
from your soul by the Blood of Jesus Christ. 

Against the Second Commandment of God. 

1. What is the second Commandment of God? The 
second Commandment of God is: “Thou shalt not take 
the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” 

What are we commanded by the second Command¬ 
ment? By the second Commandment we are com¬ 
manded to speak with reverence of God and of the 
Saints, and of all holy things, and to keep our law¬ 
ful oaths and vows. In a word, therefore: we are 
bound to show reverence for the holy name of God , 
of God’s friends, the Saints, and of the other holy 
things of our religion. 

2. Let us now briefly recall the principal sins against 
this Commandment. 

What is forbidden by the second Commandment? 
The second Commandment forbids all false, rash, un¬ 
just and unnecessary oaths, blasphemy, cursing and 
profane words. 


158 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

a) What do you mean by blasphemy? By blas¬ 
phemy is meant contemptuous and abusive language 
uttered against God, the Saints, or holy things. We 
may also become guilty of blasphemy by thoughts, 
when we wilfully think in a contemptuous manner of 
God or the Saints. 

You do not, of course, commit this sin. But if later 
on you should become guilty of it, how must you ex¬ 
amine your conscience? Ask yourself: 

Did I speak with contempt of God, or of our holy 
religion? 

Did I scoff at religion, at the rites and ceremonies 
of the Church, or turn them into ridicule? 

Did I wilfully think in a contemptuous manner of 
God or of the Saints ? 

b) What is meant by taking on oath, or swearing? 
By taking an oath, or swearing, is meant the calling 
upon God to witness the truth of what we say. You 
remember, that we may take an oath, when it is or¬ 
dered by lawful authority, or when it is required for 
the honor of God, or for our own or our neighbor's 
good. But it is necessary that what we swear be true, 
and that there be a sufficient cause for taking an oath. 

We sin by swearing (1) when we swear falsely or 
in doubt, (2) when we swear, or tell others to swear, 
without necessity, (3) when we swear to do evil, or 
to omit what is good, and (4) when we do not keep 
our oath, although we can keep it. 

Children do not, of course, swear. But perhaps 
later on you may swear and sin by swearing. How 
would you have to examine your conscience in this 
matter? Ask yourself: 

Did 1 assert with an oath that something is true, al¬ 
though I knew it was not true, or, although I was in 
doubt whether it was true or untrue? Did I swear 
falsely? or in doubt? 

Did 1 promise with an oath something which 1 did 
not intend to perform? 


EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE 159 


Did 1 swear to do something evil? 

Did I keep my oath? 

Did / swear without necessity? 

c) What is a vow? A vow is a deliberate promise 
made to God to do something that is pleasing to Him. 
You remember, that a vow is much more than a mere 
good resolution. If a person makes a vow, he is ob¬ 
liged in conscience to keep that vow, if he is able. 
Otherwise he commits sin, mortal or venial, according 
to the nature of the vow and the intention he had in 
making the vow. 

Children do not ordinarily make vows, because they 
do not understand it sufficiently. But perhaps when 
you get bigger, you will some day or other make a 
vow. What must you then ask yourself in the exami¬ 
nation of conscience? 

Did I really make a vow? 

Did 1 keep it? 

d) What do you mean by cursing ? By cursing is 
meant to wish evil to ourselves or to our neighbor, or 
to any of God’s creatures whereby the name of God is 
frequently dishonored. People who are guilty of 
cursing, wish harm to themselves or to others, damn 
themselves or others, and often speak the name of 
God at the same time without reverence. Ask your¬ 
self: 

Did 1 curse by wishing harm to myself? to others? 

e) How do we sin by irreverently pronouncing God’s 
holy name ? We sin by irreverently pronouncing , or 
profaning , the name of God , if we pronounce it in 
jest, or in anger, or in any other careless manner. 
Many children commit this sin. How must they ask 
themselves when they examine their conscience ? 

Did I speak the name of God carelessly? 

Did I use the name of Jesus without reverence? 

Now examine your own conscience . Write your own 
gins on your note book just as you would confess 
them. If you have no sins, write down the chief sins 
against this Commandment. (This is done to safe- 


160 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


guard the seal of the Confession in every possible 
way.) Now cross them out. Thus are your sins 
blotted out in holy Confession. 

Against the Third Commandment of God and the 
First Precept of the Church. 

Which is the third Commandment of God? The 
third Commandment of God is: “Remember, that thou 
keep holy the Sabbath day.” 

Which is the first Commandment of the Church? 
The first Commandment of the Church is: To hear 
Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. 

These two Commandments go together in the ex¬ 
amination of conscience. 

1. What are we commanded by the third Command¬ 
ment of God? By the third Commandment of God we 
are commanded to keep holy the Lord's day and the 
holy days of obligation, on which we are to give our 
time to the service and worship of God. 

How are we to worship God on Sundays and holy 
days of obligation? We are to worship God on Sun¬ 
days and holy days of obligation by hearing Mass, by 
prayer, and by other good works. 

Is it a mortal sin not to hear Mass on a Sunday or 
a holy day of obligation? It is a mortal sin not to hear 
Mass on a Sunday or a holy day of obligation, unless 
we are excused for a serious reason. They also com¬ 
mit a mortal sin, who, having others under their charge 
hinder them from hearing Mass, without a sufficient 
reason. 

In one word: We are bound to sanctify the Lord's 
day, Sunday , and in this country the six holy days of 
obligation by going to Mass and by prayer and good 
works. 

2. Let us now think of the sins against these two 
Commandments. 

What is forbidden by the third Commandment of 
God? The third Commandment of God forbids all 
unnecessary works and whatever else may hinder the 


EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE 161 

due observance of the Lord’s day. You remember, of 
course, that servile works are works which require 
labor of the body rather than of the mind. We may 
perform servile works on a Sunday or holy day of ob¬ 
ligation, when the honor of God or the good of our 
neighbor, or necessity requires them. 

What do you ask yourself in regard to these two 
Commandments ? 

Did I miss Mass on Sundays through my own fault? 

Did I miss Mass on a holy day of obligation through 
my own fault? 

Did I come too late to Mass through my own fault? 

Did I misbehave in church? 

Did I disturb others in church? 

Did I keep others away from Mass? 

Did I perform servile works on a Sunday , or holy 
day of obligation, without a good reason? 

Examine your own conscience. Write your own sins 
on paper just as you would have to confess them. 
Now cross them out. Thus does the Holy Ghost blot 
out your sins in Holy Confession. 

Against the Fourth Commandment of God. 

What is the fourth Commandment of God? The 
fourth Commandment of God is: “Honor thy father 
and thy mother.” 

What are we commanded by the fourth Command¬ 
ment? We are commanded by the fourth Command¬ 
ment to honor , love , and obey our parents in all that 
is not sin. 

Are we bound to honor and obey others than our 
parents? We are also bound to honor and obey our 
bishops, pastors, magistrates, teachers, and other law¬ 
ful superiors. God gave us rulers, superiors, for our 
spiritual and temporal welfare. He commands us to 
honor and obey both the spiritual and the temporal 
authorities. 

Have parents and superiors any duties towards 
those who are under their charge? It is the duty of 


162 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


parents and superiors to take good care of all under 
their charge and give them proper direction and ex¬ 
ample. 

2. Let us now consider the chief sins against this 
Commandment. 

What is forbidden by the fourth Commandment? 
The fourth Commandment forbids all disobedience, 
contempt and stubbornness towards our parents and 
other lawful superiors. Ask yourself: 

Was I disobedient to my parents? to my teachers? 
to the priest? to other superiors? 

Did I willingly listen to the good advice, which they 
gave me? Or did I resist them, when they corrected 
me? 

Was I stubborn and saucy at home? in school? 

Did I in my heart despise or disregard my parents? 
my teachers? other superiors? 

Did I speak ill of my parents? of my teachers? of 
the priest? 

Was I ashamed of my parents? 

Was I disrespectful or saucy to my parents? to m.y 
teachers? to the priest? to other superiors? 

Did I treat them harshly and insolently ? 

Did I even raise my hand against my parents? 
against my teachers? 

Did I curse my parents, my teachers, the priest, by 
wishing them harm? 

Did 1 grieve my parents, or bring disgrace upon 
them, or make them angry with me by my bad be¬ 
haviour? 

Did I put up with the faults of my parents? 

Did I assist my parents in their need? in their old 
age? 

Did I pray for my parents, whether living or dead? 

(There are other sins against the fourth Command¬ 
ment, which you as children do not commit now. But 
later on you will, perhaps, become fathers and mothers 
of families, and you will be obliged to examine your 
conscience in regard to your duties in this matter. 


EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE 163 

Therefore, you ought also to know the chief sins, which 
can be committed against this Commandment. Then, 
too, you will later on become employees for others. You 
should know what sins you might commit then. You 
will have to ask yourself: 

Did I teach my children the Catholic Religion, or see 
to it that they were properly instructed? 

Did 1 train my children to a pious life? 

Did I give my children a good example? 

Did I correct my children's faults? 

Did I waste the time , or the goods, of my employer? 

Did 1 keep those under my care from practising 
their religion? 

Did I treat those under my care harshly? 

Did I give to my employees a sufficient wage ? 

Did 1 pay my taxes?) 

Now examine your own conscience. Write your own 
sins in your note book just as you would confess them. 
Now cross them out. Thus does the Holy Ghost blot 
out your sins in Confession. 

Against the Fifth Commandment of God. 

1. What is the fifth Commandment of God? The 
fifth Commandment of God is: “Thou shalt not kill.” 

What are we commanded by the fifth Command¬ 
ment? We are commanded by the fifth Commandment 
to live in peace and union with our neighbor, to respect 
his rights, to seek his spiritual and bodily welfare, and 
to take proper care of our own life and health. In a 
word: we are obliged in conscience to respect the life 
and limb of our neighbor and of ourselves; we are 
also bound to seek the spiritual welfare of our neigh¬ 
bor. 

2. Let us now consider the sins against this Com¬ 
mandment. 

What is forbidden by the fifth Commandment? The 
fifth Commandment forbids all wilful murder, fight¬ 
ing, anger, hatred, revenge and bad example. Ask 
yourself: 


164 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Did I quarrel with my companions? with others? 

Did I hate my neighbor? Did I desire to take re¬ 
venge upon him? 

Did I call others bad, abusive names ? 

Did I fight with others, and strike, or wound them 
in an unjust manner? 

Did I, by harsh treatment, embitter or shorten the 
life of my parents, or companions? 

Did I ruin my own health by careless conduct? 

Did 1 expose myself to injury by my careless con¬ 
duct? 

Did I teach other children to steal, to cheat, to look 
at bad things , to do bad things? 

Was I cruel to animals? 

Now examine your own conscience . Write down 
your own sins just as you would accuse yourself in 
Confession. Now blot them out. Thus are your sins 
taken away by the absolution of the priest. 

Against the Sixth and Ninth Commandments of God. 

1. What is the sixth Commandment of God? The 
sixth Commandment of God is: “Thou shalt not com¬ 
mit adultery.” 

What is the ninth Commandment of God: The ninth 
Commandment of God is: “Thou shalt not covet thy 
neighbor’s wife.” 

These two Commandments belong together. They 
refer to the duty of living a chaste life . 

What are we commanded by the sixth Command¬ 
ment? We are commanded by the sixth Command¬ 
ment to be pure in thought, and modest in all our looks, 
words, and actions. 

What are we commanded by the ninth Command¬ 
ment ? We are commanded by the ninth Command¬ 
ment to keep ourselves pure in thought and desire. 

2. Let us think, now, of the sins, which these two 
Commandments forbid. 

What is forbidden by the sixth Commandment? 
The sixth Commandment forbids all unchaste free- 


EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE 165 

dom with another's wife or husband; also all im¬ 
modesty with ourselves or others in looks, dress, or 
actions. 

Does the sixth Commandment forbid the reading 
of bad and immodest books and newspapers? The 
sixth Commandment does forbid the reading of bad 
and immodest books and newspapers. 

What is forbidden by the ninth Commandment ? 
The ninth Commandment forbids unchaste thoughts, 
desires of another's wife or husband, and all other 
unlawful impure thoughts and desires. Ask yourself: 

Did 1 take pleasure in immodest thoughts? 

Did I desire to do immodest things? 

Did I look with pleasure at immodest pictures , or 
other things? 

Did I say immodest things? 

Did I listen to immodest jokes? 

Did I read immodest words? 

Did I write immodest words? 

Did I do immodest things with myself? 

Did I do immodest things with others? i 

Now examine your own conscience. Write your 
sins on paper just as you would confess them. Now 
cross them out. Thus does the Holy Spirit blot out 
your sins, if you are sincerely sorry for them and re¬ 
solve to avoid them for the future. 

Against the Seventh and Tenth Commandments of 
God. 

1. What is the seventh Commandment of God? The 
seventh Commandment of God is: 'Thou shalt not 
steal." 

What is the tenth Commandment of God? The 
tenth Commandment of God is: "Thou shalt not covet 
thy neighbor's goods.” 

These two Commandments belong together. They 
refer to our duty in regard to the property of our 
neighbor. 


166 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


What are we commanded by the seventh Command¬ 
ment? By the seventh Commandment we are com¬ 
manded to give to all men what belongs to them and to 
respect their property. 

What are we commanded by the tenth Command¬ 
ment? By the tenth Commandment we are com¬ 
manded to be content with what we have, and to re¬ 
joice in our neighbor's welfare. 

2. Let us now recall the chief sins against these two 
Commandments. 

What is forbidden by the seventh Commandment? 
The seventh Commandment forbids all unjust taking 
or keeping what belongs to another. 

What is forbidden by the tenth Commandment? The 
tenth Commandment forbids all desires to take or keep 
wrongfully what belongs to another. 

Are we bound to restore ill-gotten goods? We are 
bound to restore ill-gotten goods, or the value of them, 
as far as we are able, otherwise we cannot be for¬ 
given. 

Are we obliged to repair the damage we have un¬ 
justly caused? We are bound to repair the damage 
we have unjustly caused. Now ask yourself: 

Did I secretly take things at home? 

Did I steal? What did I steal? 

Did I return what I stole ? 

Did I keep money hack without permission ? 

Did I return things , which I had borrowed? or 
found ? 

Did I spoil or break things belonging to others? 

Did I tell others to steal? Did I help others to steal? 

(Later on you must also ask yourself: 

Did I pay my debts? 

Did I cheat others by false weights or measures , 
by bad money, or bad articles?) 

Examine your own conscience. Write your own 
sins down just as your conscience tells them to you. 
Now cross them out again. Thus does God forgive 
your sins through a worthy Confession. 


EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE 167 

Against the Eighth Commandment of God . 

1. What is the eighth Commandment of God? The 
eighth Commandment of God is: “Thou shalt not bear 
false witness against thy neighbor.” 

What are we commanded by the eighth Command¬ 
ment? We are commanded by the eighth Command¬ 
ment to speak the truth in all things and to be careful 
of the honor and reputation of every one. 

2. Let us now recall the sins against this Command¬ 
ment. 

What is forbidden by the eighth Commandment? 
The eighth Commandment forbids all rash judgments, 
backbiting, slanders and lies. 

What must they do who have lied about their neigh¬ 
bor and seriously injured his character? They who 
have lied about their neighbor and seriously injured 
his character must repair the injury done as far as 
they are able, otherwise they will not be forgiven. Now 
ask yourself: 

Did 1 tell lies in fun? 

Did I tell lies to escape punishment? 

Did I tell lies so that another was punished unjustly? 

Did I tell the faults of my companions without a good 
reason? 

Did I tell lies about my companions, or others? 

Did I pretend to be better or more pious than I really 
am, in order to deceive others? 

Did I listen with delight to others speaking against 
another? 

Did I encourage others by asking questions , when 
they told me faults, or lies, about another? 

Was I suspicious of others without a good reason? 

Did I believe the evil of my neighbor to be true , 
without a sufficient reason? 

Examine your own conscience . Write your own sins 
just as you would tell them to your confessor. Now 


168 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

cross them out. Thus are your sins forgiven in Holy 
Penance. 

Against the Second Precept of the Church. 

1. Which are the chief Commandments of the 
Church ? The chief Commandments of the Church are 
six: (1) To hear Mass on Sundays and holy days of 
obligation; (2) To fast and abstain on the days ap¬ 
pointed; (3) To confess at least once a year; (4) To 
receive the Holy Eucharist during the Easter time; 
(5) To contribute to the support of our pastors; (6) 
Not to marry persons who are not Catholic, or who 
are related to us within the third degree of kindred, 
nor privately without witnesses, nor to solemnize 
marriage at forbidden times. 

Of these six Commandments of the Church, for the 
present, you need for Confession only the first and 
the second. We have already examined ourselves on 
the first precept. Let us, therefore, recall only the 
second. 

What do you mean by the days of abstinence? By 
the days of abstinence I mean days on which we are 
forbidden to eat flesh-meat but are allowed the usual 
number of meals. 

2. On which days are we not allowed to eat meat? 
On all Fridays of the year, unless a holy day of ob¬ 
ligation falls on Friday; on the vigils of Christmas, 
Pentecost, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 
into Heaven, and All-Saints; on the Emberdays (four 
times a year) ; on Ash Wednesday, on the Fridays and 
Saturdays of Lent. Ask yourself: 

Did I eat meat on a Friday , or a day of abstinence, 
through my own fault? 

(Later on you will also have to ask yourself: 

Did I break the law of fast?) 

Examine your own conscience. Write your own sins 
on paper. Now cross them out again. Thus does God 
blot out your guilt through a worthy Confession. 


EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE 169 


The Capital Sins. 

1. Which are the chief sources of sin? The chief 
sources of sin are seven: Pride, Covetousness, Lust, 
Anger, Gluttony, Envy and Sloth; and they are com¬ 
monly called capital sins. 

We have already considered the third capital sin, 
Lust, in the sixth and ninth Commandments of God. 

2. Let us consider the six other sins. 

When do we sin by Pride? We sin by Pride when 
we think too much of ourselves and despise others. 

When do we sin by Covetousness? We sin by Covet¬ 
ousness when we inordinately seek and love money or 
other worldly goods; when we are hard-hearted to 
those who are in distress. 

When do we sin by Anger? We sin by Anger when 
we are exasperated at that which displeases us, fly 
into a passion, and suffer ourselves to be carried away 
with a violent desire of revenge. 

When do we sin by Gluttony? We sin by Gluttony 
when we eat or drink too much, when we gulp down 
food in a greedy manner, in an inordinate manner, 
and when we long for eating and drinking out of 
times. 

When do we sin by Envy? We sin by Envy when 
we repine at our neighbor's good and are sad when he 
is in possession of temporal or spiritual blessings, or 
when we rejoice when our neighbor is deprived of 
them. 

When do we sin by Sloth? We sin by Sloth when 
we give way to our natural repugnance to labor and 
exertion, and thus neglect our duties. Ask yourself: 

Was I proud ? Did I think too much of myself , and 
despise others? 

Was I stingy ? Was I hard-hearted to those who are 
in need? 

Was I angry with others? 

Did I eat and drink too much? 


170 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

Was I jealous of others? Was 1 glad when others 
were punished? 

Was 1 lazy? 

Examine your own conscience. Write your sins 
on paper. Now cross them out. Thus will God for¬ 
give your faults in Confession. 

Special Examination of Conscience . 

Ask yourself these questions also: 

Which sin do I commit the most? 

How have I kept my good resolution, which I made 
in the last Confession? 

Have I become better or worse? 

Against which sin must I take special care? 

Examine your own conscience. Write your sins on 
paper. Now tear the paper up. Thus does God do 
away with your sins through the absolution of the 
confessor. 

Now let us make a good Act of Contrition for our 
sins. 

Look up to the Cross. Just gaze upon Jesus. His 
hands and feet are nailed fast. His body is beaten 
and all covered with wounds. His head bears the 
crown of thorns. His face is covered with blood and 
filth. Thus does Jesus suffer for love of you. Now 
say with all your heart: “Oh my Jesus ! I have repaid 
all Thy love only by ingratitude. I acknowledge my 
fault and repent of my guilt. Crucified Lord Jesus 
Christ, have mercy on me. Amen.” 

LESSON XXI. 

Daily Examination of Conscience. 

(Supplementary) 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) About what fault ought we to examine ourselves 
especially ? (Deharbe) 

2) How can we facilitate this examination of con¬ 
science? (Deharbe) 


DAILY EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE 171 

Preparation. Dear children, the penitent must first 
examine his conscience. We learned how to do that 
in the last class. Let us first review this lesson. 
(Question the pupils briefly on the foregoing lesson). 
But a pious child, ought also to examine his con¬ 
science each day. That is what St. Aloysius did; and 
so gradually he overcame all the wicked inclinations of 
his heart. The little Saint is a beautiful example for 
all children. You ought to imitate him. 

Aim. That is what I would like to show you now: 
how you can become master over the evil inclinations 
of your heart. Let us first look upon St. Aloysius. 

Presentation. When little Aloysius was permitted 
to make his First Holy Confession, he prepared him¬ 
self for it with all the fervor at his command. But it 
also caused him much worry as to whether the good 
God would be satisfied with him. With anxious heart 
he knelt down before the confessor, for he imagined 
that he was the greatest sinner in the whole world. 
But when all was over he felt very happy. Thence¬ 
forth he watched very carefully over his heart; for he 
wanted to avoid in all earnestness even the small fail¬ 
ings. Therefore he continually paid attention to him¬ 
self, in order to discover and to remedy his chief fault 
especially. 

Soon Aloysius discovered that he was continually 
becoming impatient and angry for the slightest reason, 
when things did not go according to his wishes. Out¬ 
wardly he did not indeed show it, but inwardly he be¬ 
came disturbed very easily. Now this fault he wanted 
to overcome at any cost. How did he do it ? He thought 
and said to himself: Surely it is cowardly and weak con¬ 
tinually to be giving in to anger at once. For an angry 
man is never master over himself and oftentimes does 
not know any more what he is speaking and doing. 
Therefore Aloysius resolved with all earnestness: 
That must be changed; I do not want to be a slave of 


172 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


anger. And with God’s help he also succeeded. Grad¬ 
ually he became quiet and meek like a patient lamb. 

Aloysius discovered a second fault. When speak¬ 
ing he at times made use of an unkind and bad word 
about others. But he knew very well that God can¬ 
not bear unkind speech. This enemy also Aloysius 
wanted to conquer at any cost. Therefore he resolved : 
I will no longer go among the people as much as I have 
in the past, but I will rather remain at home in my 
little room. Then I will not so easily get into the 
danger of hearing or speaking bad words. Of course 
some people thought, that he ought not to have been 
so scrupulous and timid of the company of men. How¬ 
ever, Aloysius would not allow himself to be led astray 
and let the people talk. 

But Aloysius had a second means of freeing him¬ 
self from his faults. Every evening, before he lay 
down to rest, he reflected: How did I spend the whole 
day? Did I do all things right? Or did I do any¬ 
thing badly? If he found a sin, he repented of it at 
once with all his heart: Dear God, pardon me. Tomor¬ 
row I will do better. If he did not discover any fault, 
he prayed: Dear God, I thank Thee. Help me always 
to remain like this. 

At the age of twelve years Aloysius was allowed to 
receive his First Holy Communion; he was already a 
little Saint. Henceforth he went to Holy Confession 
every Saturday and to Holy Communion every Sunday. 
On those occasions he was so full of devotion and rev¬ 
erence that he was like an angel from Heaven. 

Explanation. 1. Aloysius is in Heaven a long time 
already. Now he is permitted to see God face to face. 
That is a greater happiness than if he had received the 
crown of a king. You also want some day to be as 
happy as he, do you not? But remember well, Heaven 
is not to be obtained for nothing; we must fight for 
Heaven. We can learn that from Aloysius. With 
deep contrition the little Saint went to First Holy Con- 


DAILY EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE 173 

fession. That was right. But that was not yet enough 
for him. At what did he henceforth aim in a very 
special way?—Aloysius turned his eyes particularly 
to his chief fault. For he knew very well: The chief 
(predominant) fault is my chief enemy, yes my deadly 
enemy; it would like to deprive me of Heaven. Here 
it is a question of: Either—or! Either conquer or die! 
Either I will conquer the enemy or he will conquer me, 
and that might cost me my life. Do you see? Aloysius 
was a wise and a brave soldier. But all children are 
not like him. Very many overlook or hide from them¬ 
selves in their examination of conscience that fault, 
which they like most of all to commit. Yes, we ought 
to be especially on our guard against our chief sin, or 
our favorite fault. (Repeat together; use the black - 
board; see the diagram below just above the synthesis.) 

Now tell me, what pet faults did Aloysius have?— 
He found two chief faults in his heart: an angry and 
an unkind disposition. Now Aloysius began the battle 
and he fought courageously as formerly the shepherd 
boy David. You know the story, of course.—With 
God's help the young hero killed the giant Goliath. 
But when the enemy saw, that their strong man was 
dead, they were struck with terror and fled. Thus also 
did Aloysius fight like a little hero. Soon he had over¬ 
come his chief fault; then the other faults disappeared 
of themselves. 

2. But tell me, how did Aloysius accomplish that?— 
Every evening he examined his conscience. Before 
the evening prayer he again looked over the day and 
asked his heart: Did I sin today? Was I again unkind 
or angry? Did I say unkind words? Or did I listen 
to bad words? In the beginning, of course, scarcely 
a day passed without a little fault. For one cannot 
overcome the wicked inclinations all at once; that 
costs time and effort. But gradually his evil inclina¬ 
tions became weaker and weaker, until finally he had 
conquered them completely. Thus little Aloysius 
gradually became a little Saint, but a Saint by the 


174 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


grace of God. For every Saint must say with the 
Apostle Paul: “By the grace of God I am what I am" 
(I Cor. xv, 10). 

To examine one's conscience each evening, also pro¬ 
duces another benefit.—When Aloysius examined his 
conscience before Confession, he did not have to re¬ 
flect long; all his sins came into his mind easily and 
quickly. Neither did he postpone his Confession for 
a long time. Every Saturday was for him the day for 
Confession and therefore a day of grace, and every 
Sunday the day for Communion and therefore a day of 
blessing. To examine one's conscience each day and 
to confess often—that makes Confession easy. Let us 
remember that: We can make our examination of con¬ 
science easy by examining our conscience every day, 
and by going to Confession frequently. ( Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard.) 

Write on the blackboard : 

Examination of conscience: 

1 . in regard to our chief (pet) fault; 

2 . each day—confess frequently. 

Thereby our examination is made easy and fruitful. 

Synthesis. We can learn two things from Aloysius: 
Seek your chief fault and fight your chief fault; for the 
chief (predominant) fault is your chief enemy.— 
Against what fault ought we to be on our guard, when 
we examine our conscience?—How can everyone facil¬ 
itate the examination of conscience ?— ( Have the pupils 
read the answers from the Catechism or the black¬ 
board. Assign the lesson for the next class.) 

Application. As Aloysius did so have all the Saints 
done. St. Ignatius even examined his conscience every 
hour. He wrote his faults down in a little book. For 
that reason he advanced on the road to Heaven with 
giant steps. Pious Christians also examine their con¬ 
science each day. Do you not also want to become 


DAILY EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE 175 


pious Christian children? Well then reflect each even¬ 
ing a little on your sins! That is not difficult. Just 
remember how you ought to do it! Before you lie 
down to sleep, kneel down for a little while. Then 
pray for the heavenly light of grace: “Come, 0 Holy 
Ghost, and enlighten me!” Now look over the entire 
day and ask yourselves sincerely: Did I get up today 
at the right time? Did I say my morning prayer? 
Did I do my task for school? Was I attentive at 
school? Was I temperate in eating and drinking? 
Did I obey father and mother immediately? Was I 
friendly with my brothers and sisters and other chil¬ 
dren? Was I modest in thought and word and con¬ 
duct? Did I tell lies? Did I take things secretly? 
Did I fall back into my chief fault? Thus make a 
brief review; that is over quickly. 

But it is not enough simply to look for one's faults; 
the chief thing is to be sorry. That is what Aloysius 
did. At the same time you might say: “0 my Jesus, 
mercy!" or: “0 God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" 
Then say your evening prayer and finally say with the 
dying Saviour: “Father! into Thy hands I commend 
my spirit." 

Then you can go to sleep quietly and, if God wills, 
even die undisturbed. 

Now try it this very evening. You will see, that it 
is done very easily. The good God will bless you for 
it. Thus you will advance quickly on the path of 
virtue and of Heaven. 

(N. B. The catechist ought not to neglect to remind the 
children again and again of the daily examination of con¬ 
science; then his words of admonition will not be without 

fruit.) 


176 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


LESSON XXII. 

True Contrition of Heart. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) What is contrition or sorrow for sin? L. XVIII, 
Q. 195. 

2) What do you mean by saying that our sorrow 
should be interior? L. XVIII, Q. 197. 

3) What do you mean by saying that our sorrow 
should be supernatural? L. XVIII, Q. 198. 

4) What do you mean by saying that our sorrow 
should be universal? L. XVIII, Q. 199. 

5) What do you mean by saying that our sorrow 
should be sovereign? L. XVIII, Q. 200. 

6 ) What kind of sorrow should we have for our 
sins? L. XVIII, Q. 196. 

Preparation. Dear children, in the last class we 
learned a very wonderful means of advancing in the 
practise of Christian virtue. It is the practise of the 
daily examination of conscience. Let us review this 
teaching. (Quesion the pupils briefly on the fore¬ 
going lesson .)—The sinner must repent of, or feel 
sorry for, his wickedness; that you all know. The 
prodigal son repented bitterly of his sinful life; then 
he went home to his father. But his father embraced 
him and kissed him and wept for joy, as though he 
wished to say: My son, all that is necessary is that 
you are here again! How did not this love of the 
father gladden the son and at the same time how did 
it not pain him Oh! so much. Now he felt sorry for 
his wicked life all the more; and his father forgave 
him all, because he saw the sorrow, or contrition, of 
his son.—The heavenly Father does just the same: 
He hastens out to meet the poor sinner and gives him 
grace for a good Confession. And then when the sin¬ 
ner feels sorrow for all, God is merciful and is willing 
to forgive everything and to press the prodigal son 


TRUE CONTRITION OF HEART 


177 


again to His fatherly Heart. Jesus Himself once 
showed and told us that in a very beautiful manner. 
He forgave a poor sinner all, because she had charity 
and contrition in her heart. First I am going to tell 
you the story. 

Aim. Thereby you can learn: when the sinner has 
true contrition of heart. Pay strict attention, so that 
you may understand all; for contrition is the kernel 
of the whole Sacrament of Penance. Contrition, 
then, is the principal thing in all the instructions on 
Confession. 

Presentation. Jesus happened to be in the little 
town of Capharnaum on the lovely lake of Genesareth. 
A rich Pharisee, named Simon, asked Jesus to dine 
with him. Jesus went into the house of the Pharisee. 
Now while the guests were at table, the door opened 
and with silent tread a woman entered—Magdalen. 
She was known in the whole town as a sinner. But 
suddenly she was changed, as it were, into a different 
person. She laid aside all her vain dress and orna¬ 
ments. In her hand she carries a vessel of precious 
ointment. Thus she approaches Jesus with her back 
turned; for she does not dare to let His eyes fall upon 
her. Humbly she kneels down and moistens His feet 
with her tears and dries them with the hair of her 
head, and kisses Jesus' feet again and again and 
anoints them with precious ointment. 

When the Pharisee saw that, he was scandalized and 
said within himself: “If this man were a prophet, he 
would know what sort of a woman this is; for she is a 
sinner.” But Jesus saw into his heart and said: 
“Simon, I have somewhat to say to thee. Seest thou 
this woman? I came into thy house and thou gavest 
Me no water for My feet; but she washed My feet with 
her tears and wiped them with her hair. Thou gavest 
Me no kiss; but she hath not ceased to kiss My feet. 
My head with oil thou didst not anoint; but she hath 
anointed My feet with precious ointment. Therefore 


178 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


I say to thee: Many sins are forgiven her, because 
she hath loved much.” Then Jesus turned to the 
woman and said: “Thy sins are forgiven thee. Go in 
peace.” (Luke vii, 36-50.) ( Show the pupils a large 

picture of this scene.) 

Explanation. 1. a) A touching picture! There the 
dear Saviour sits so gentle and kind, and at His feet 
kneels a poor sinner. What is Magdalen doing?—She 
is weeping hot tears and washing the feet of the Lord 
and kissing and anointing the feet of Jesus. What do 
those tears tell you ?—Magdalen has bitter sorrow, true 
grief, in her soul for her sins. That sorrow, that grief, 
burned within her soul like a fire. That is contrition: 
sorrow , grief, of the soul for past sins. 

b) When Magdalen looked into her heart, how do 
you think she felt?—It seemed to her as though her 
heart was like a detestable swamp, in which ugly ver¬ 
min were leading their horrid life. And what do you 
suppose the sinner thought to herself?—Away with 
those detestable sins ! I ivill have nothing more to do 
with them. Oh, how could I ever have lead such a 
disgraceful life of sin! Really I feel like weeping to 
death. I would give my life, if only I had never com¬ 
mitted those sins! Do you see? The penitent had a 
hatred for her sins. That is contrition. 

Now let us put the whole answer together: Contri¬ 
tion, or sorrow for sin, is a hatred of sin and a true 
grief of the soul for having offended God, with a firm 
purpose of sinning no more. (Repeat together; use 
the blackboard; see the diagram below just above the 
synthesis.) 

2. Now let us look a little more deeply into Mag¬ 
dalen’s heart. Humbly and sorrowfully she kneels at 
Jesus’ feet. She knows very well: I am a poor, mis¬ 
erable sinner; I am not worthy at all to appear before 
Jesus. Therefore neither does she say a single word, 
but she only weeps. What do you think? Was she in 
earnest when she wept?—Yes, those tears came not 


TRUE CONTRITION OF HEART 179 

merely from the eyes, but from deep down in her soul. 
Her entire conduct shows us that. 

There are, indeed, many sinners, who do all out¬ 
wardly in the right way. They recite the act of con¬ 
trition with their lips, but their heart has no part in it; 
interiorly they are not in earnest at all. What do you 
think the dear Lord will say to that?—God does not 
look at the lips, but rather at the heart. To repent with 
the lips is only sham sorrow, but not real sorrow of 
the heart. If Magdalen, too, had been sorry only 
outwardly, but not inwardly, interiorly, Jesus would 
never have spoken to her those consoling words: 
“Thy sins are forgiven thee!” But Magdalen felt 
sorry for her sins, not with her lips only, but in her 
heart, interiorly, because sin is the greatest of evils. 
And what was her only desire?—Oh, that I had never 
sinned! There you see: true contrition of heart must 
be interior. Our Catechism says: When I say that our 
contrition should be interior, I mean that it should 
come from the heart, and not merely from the lips. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

3. But suppose that Magdalen felt sorry for her sins 
simply and solely because she was ashamed of what 
the people were thinking and saying about her; or 
because she was afraid, that the good people of 
Capharnaum were about to cast her out of the town. 
Do you think that Jesus would have been satisfied with 
that sorrow?—No, for in that case she would not be 
thinking of God at all. She would be sorry for her 
sins merely because of the shame and disgrace and 
harm that her sins had brought upon her. Such con¬ 
trition for sin is not bad; but neither is it right and 
proper. It is only natural sorrow , or contrition. Such 
contrition does not come from God—is not excited by 
the grace of God. It is not sorrow for sin, because sin 
offends God, causes one to lose Heaven and deserve 
the pains of Hell. It is prompted by natural motives 
only. 


180 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

Magdalen had much more than natural sorrow for 
her sins. God Himself moved her to sorrow; the grace 
of God entered her soul and excited her to hate her sins 
and to grieve over them. She thought to herself: Oh, 
how I have offended God by my sins! Yes, I do de¬ 
serve to lose Heaven and to enter Hell for my wicked 
life! Therefore she was sorry for her sins. You see: 
Magdalen's sorrow was excited by the grace of God 
and was prompted by motives of faith, and not merely 
natural motives. She had supernatural sorrow. When 
I say that our sorrow should be supernatural. I mean 
that it should be prompted by the grace of God, and 
excited by motives which spring from faith, and not 
merely by natural motives. ( Repeat together; use the 
blackboard.) 

4. Magdalen had sinned much; and yet, Jesus said: 
“Thy sins are forgiven thee!” Why did Jesus forgive 
her sins?—Because Magdalen felt sorry for all that 
she had done. What she had hitherto loved, that now 
she detested and hated: all her sins, great and small, 
mortal and venial sins. If she had not repented of 
only one mortal sin, not a single sin would have been 
forgiven her; for her sorrow would not have been the 
proper sorrow. It would not have been universal. 
Remember then: when I say that our sorrow must be 
universal, I mean that we should be sorry for all our 
mortal sins without exception. (Repeat together; use 
the blackboard.) 

Understand that well! The sinner ought to repent 
of all his sins, also the venial sins, but he must feel 
sorrow for all his mortal sins. Whoever feels sorry 
for all but one mortal sin, prefers that sin to the dear 
Lord and remains in mortal sin. A single mortal sin 
puts out the grace of God from the soul and makes out 
of a child of God a child of the devil. St. Augustine, 
therefore, once said: “What does it profit you to break 
your chains, if only one still binds you to Hell?" You 
can easily understand that.—See! one is fastened to 
Hell by mortal sins; every mortal sin is an iron chain. 


TRUE CONTRITION OF HEART 


181 

If you have ten mortal sins, you are bound to Hell by 
ten iron chains. If you break nine of these chains by 
contrition, are you then free? — No, you are still 
fastened by one chain to Hell. You are and you re¬ 
main a grievous sinner with even only a single mortal 
sin. 

5. Let us look at Magdalen again. Why is she weep¬ 
ing?—She is thinking to herself: Oh, what a wicked 
life I have been living! The good God is displeased 
with me; yes, He will have nothing more to do with 
me. I deserve to be cast into Hell for my sins. How 
ugly my sins are! Oh, that I had never committed 
them! Never will I sin again, no, not for anything in 
the world! I am willing to suffer anything rather 
than offend God again by sin. Do you see? Magdalen 
was sorry for her sins, because sin is the greatest evil 
in the world; it made her lose God and was about to 
cast her soul into Hell for all eternity. Therefore she 
hated her sins. Her contrition was sovereign. Our 
Catechism says: When I say that our contrition should 
be sovereign, I mean that we should grieve more for 
having offended God than for any other evil that can 
befall us. (Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

6 . Now' we know what kind of sorrow we should 
have for our sins. Let us say this answer together: 
The sorrow r we should have for our sins should be 
interior, supernatural, universal, and sovereign. 

Write on the blackboard: 

1. Contrition—grief of soul, hatred of sin, resolu¬ 
tion to sin no more. 

Our contrition should be: (6) 

2. Interior—in the heart. 

3. Supernatural—excited by God's grace, prompt¬ 

ed by motives of faith. 

4. Universal—extend to all sins (mortal sins). 

5. Sovereign—because sin is the greatest evil. 

Synthesis. The penitent Magdalen is a picture of 


182 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

true contrition. She even wept over her sins. The 
sinner must weep, at least in his heart. What is con¬ 
trition or sorrow for sin? — True contrition of the 
heart must be supernatural. What do you mean by 
that?—True contrition of heart must be universal. 
For how many sins must we be sorry?—True contrition 
of heart must be sovereign. What do you understand 
by that?—Now tell me all the qualities of true contri¬ 
tion. (Have the pupils read the answers from the 
Catechism. Assign the lesson for the next class.) 

Application. 1. Contrition is a grief of the soul and 
a hatred for sin. We see that in the case of Magdalen. 
Tell me some other examples of true contrition of the 
heart!—We have already narrated the story of the 
sin and the contrition of Peter. Three times did the 
Apostle deny his Lord and Master in a shameful man¬ 
ner; but then he went out and wept bitterly. Yes, it is 
said, that he repented of his sin during his whole life. 
What was in his soul ?—These tears of penance worked 
in his soul like a second Baptism.—How did the pub¬ 
lican pray in the temple?—He struck his breast and 
said: “Oh God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” His 
entire conduct shows his bitter grief of soul.—The 
good thief to the right of Christ even in the very last 
hour of his life entered into himself and spoke in pray¬ 
er: “Lord, remember me, when Thou enterest into 
Thy kingdom !”—King David had fallen deeply. But 
his sin grieved him deeply. He cast himself upon the 
ground and did not eat or drink anymore. Again and 
again he cried out, with sorrow and grief: “Have 
mercy on me, 0 Lord, according to Thy great mercy. 
A contrite and humble heart, 0 God, Thou wilt not 
despise.” (Ps. L.) 

2. Now just look a little into your own hearts! 
Have you not already imitated Magdalen in her sins? 
If so, then imitate her also in her contrition! Pray 
often humbly and contritely: “My Jesus, have mercy!” 
Then Jesus will also say to you in Holy Confession: 
“Thy sins are forgiven thee. Go in peace!” 


THE CHRISTIAN'S CONTRITION 


183 


LESSON XXIII. 

The Christian's Contrition. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) Why should we be sorry for our sins ? L. XVIII, 
Q. 201. 

2) What is imperfect contrition? L. XVIII, Q. 204. 

3) What is perfect contrition? L. XVIII, Q. 203. 

4) How many kinds of contrition are there? L. 
XVIII, Q. 202. 

5) Is imperfect contrition sufficient for a worthy 
Confession? L. XVIII, Q. 205. 

Preparation. Dear children, St. Teresa of Jesus 
once wrote these remarkable words to a certain mis¬ 
sionary. "Father, I beg of you, preach very often 
against Confessions, which are made without contri¬ 
tion. For the devil has no other net, with which to 
catch so many souls, except this." That shows you 
how necessary contrition is for a worthy Confession. 
Yes, a certain renowned preacher once said: "Confes¬ 
sion without contrition is a shot without a bullet, a 
needle without thread, an ear without the kernels.” 
Therefore without contrition Confession is good for 
nothing. Let us review what we learned of that in the 
last lesson. ( Question the pupils briefly on the fore¬ 
going lesson .)—The prodigal son had true contrition 
of heart. Why did he repent of his wicked life ?—Be¬ 
cause things were going so badly with him — that 
grieved him bitterly. But he also had another sorrow 
in his soul.—Oh, what sorrow of heart did I not cause 
my father! That is the right kind of sorrow.—The 
penitent, too, must have contrition. But between con¬ 
trition and contrition there is a world of difference. 
Everything depends upon the "why.” 

Aim. Now I am going to show you, why the peni¬ 
tent should feel sorry for his sins. 


184 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Presentation. Here are three children: a child, that 
has made its First Holy Confession, a child that has 
already made its First Holy Communion, and an older 
child in the highest grade of the school. On Sunday 
the father sends the three children to church. “Chil¬ 
dren, it is time! Be good and pray, so that God may 
bless you.” The children go away at once. But what 
happens ? The oldest child seduces her younger sisters 
and says: “This is such a lovely day. Come, let us go 
for a walk! Others are doing it too.” And actually 
the three children miss Holy Mass. The father hears 
about it. The children are sure, that that will cause 
great anger and bring punishment, for the father in¬ 
sists strictly on their going to Mass. Then, of course, 
they begin to feel sorrow. 

The youngest child, that has not yet made its First 
Holy Communion, says: “Oh, if only I had not done 
that! I am afraid of father; I do not dare to go home.” 
And she begins to cry. The child, that has already 
made its First Holy Communion, feels even greater 
sorrow. She had often heard it said in school: To 
miss Holy Mass through one's own fault is a mortal 
sin. She now remembers that and begins to complain: 
“Oh, what have I done! How could I have been so care¬ 
less ! A First Communicant and not to go to church— 
what a disgrace!” But then she says to her sisters: “I 
would gladly put up with the punishment of father; 
for I truly deserved that. But what if I had to die 
now! I fear God's punishments. We have lost Heaven 
and deserved Hell. 0 God, do not let us die in sin!” 
Thereupon the oldest child says: “You are right, we 
did deserve Hell. But do you also know what we have 
done to the good God? God is so great and holy and 
we are such poor, miserable children of men; and still 
we did not want to obey Him. The good God is such 
a kind Father and we are such ungrateful children! 
And when I look at Jesus on the Cross, how ashamed 
I must feel! Really I can no longer look Him straight 
in the eyes. He has done so much for us, and we did 


THE CHRISTIAN’S CONTRITION 


185 


not want to offer Him even a short little half hour. 
But never again in all my life will I do such a thing; 
rather die than sin.” 

While the children were talking like that to one an¬ 
other, the oldest child thinks of a good thing: “Do 
you know what we will do ? Come, let us go into the 
church and beg the dear Lord with all our heart to 
pardon us.” And immediately they kneel down be¬ 
fore the altar and pray: “O Jesus, have mercy on us. 
O Jesus, pardon us our sins.” Thereupon they go 
home and sincerely confess all to their father: “Father 
forgive us; we will never do that again.” Then their 
father pardons them once more, because they have 
told all sincerely and repented of it. He says: “This 
time I will omit the punishment; but remember it 
well.” 

All three children have contrition; but each one has 
a different kind of contrition. Let us see, whether they 
all have the right kind of contrition. 

Explanation. 1. What did the youngest child say? 
“I am afraid of father.” The child was very much in 
earnest, too; yes, she even cried. Therefore, that is 
contrition of the heart. But I wonder if the good God 
will be satisfied with that contrition? The child does 
not even think of God. She is sorry for her sin, be¬ 
cause she fears her father: therefore, merely because 
she might suffer harm and disgrace. This contrition 
is not bad, but neither is it the right kind of contri¬ 
tion. To feel sorry for sin , because it brings us tem¬ 
poral loss or disgrace , is nothing but natural contri¬ 
tion. Such a contrition is worth nothing in God’s 
sight, because it is not directed to God at all. Such a 
sorrow is of no use for Confession. A Christian child 
ought to have a Christian’s contrition, and that comes 
from the Christian Faith and is directed to God. How 
then ought a Christian child to think, when it wishes 
to make an act of contrition for its sin? This is what 
it ought to say to itself: Oh, what an awful thing sin 


186 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


is! By sin I offend the good God, Who made me out 
of nothing, and Who watches over and keeps me safe 
every single moment of my life. By sin I offend my 
good Jesus, Who redeemed me by His bloody death on 
the cross. Sin shuts me out of Heaven and condemns 
me to the everlasting pains of Hell. Therefore, I am 
sorry for my sins. That is the right kind of sorrow 
for a Christian. Our Catechism says: We should be 
sorry for our sins, because sin is the greatest of evils 
and an offence against God our Creator, Preserver and 
Redeemer, and because it shuts us out of Heaven and 
condemns us to the eternal pains of Hell. ( Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard; see the diagram below just 
above the synthesis .) 

2. Now, let us see whether the second child of our 
story had true Christian contrition. What did the 
little First Communicant say ? “I am afraid of God.” 
That is already an entirely different kind of sorrow 
from that of the first child. The child looks upwards 
and says: I have lost Heaven. It looks downwards 
and says: I have deserved Hell. Oh, how ugly sin is. 
Do you see ? The little First Communicant has the 
fear of God in her heart. But to feel sorry for 
sin because of the fear of God's punishment is true 
Christian contrition; such a sorrow is right in God's 
sight and proper for Confession. We can call it con¬ 
trition of holy fear. This sorrow already passes be¬ 
yond the natural life and is directed to the supernatural 
life; hence it is no longer natural, but supernatural. 
To be sure, it is not yet the best; it is still imperfect. 
Our contrition is imperfect, when we are sorry for 
our sins because we fear the punishments of God or 
because sin is so ugly in itself. Our Catechism says: 
Imperfect contrition is that by which we hate what 
offends God, because by it we lose Heaven and de¬ 
serve Hell; or because sin is so hateful in itself. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard) . In the eyes 
of God this contrition is worth its weight in silver. 
We might call it, therefore, simply silver contrition . 


THE CHRISTIAN'S CONTRITION 187 

3. Now, the third child's turn comes. The Holy 
Ghost has given it very special graces. What did that 
little girl say? “I have offended the great God. I 
have been so ungrateful to my good Father in Heaven. 
I have grieved Jesus so bitterly.'' What do you think 
of this contrition? Is it contrition of holy fear? No, 
for that girl felt sorry for sin, not merely because she 
feared God, but rather because she loved God, Who is 
so good in Himself and worthy of all love. She was 
not thinking so much of herself, as rather of God; and 
she was sorry for having displeased Him, not for her 
own sake, but for His sake, because He is so good and 
worthy of all love. Yes, that child would have pre¬ 
ferred to die rather than sin again, so great was her 
grief for sin and her hatred for sin. Do you see? 
That is contrition of holy love. That is the best kind 
of contrition; therefore, it is called perfect contri¬ 
tion. Our contrition is perfect when we feel sorry for 
sin, for the love of God. Our Catechism says: 
Perfect contrition is that which fills us with sorrow 
and hatred for sin, because it offends God, Who is in¬ 
finitely good in Himself and worthy of all love. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard) . In the sight 
of God this contrition is worth its weight in gold; 
therefore we can call it for short golden contrition. 
Yes, this contrition of holy love is so strong, that it 
burns out sins from the soul like fire. 

4. Now you know how many kinds of contrition 
there are: There are two kinds of contrition: perfect 
contrition and imperfect contrition. (Repeat together). 

5. Every penitent ought to try to excite in his heart 
an act of perfect contrition. But it is not absolutely 
necessary; for silver contrition, imperfect contrition, 
contrition of holy fear, is sufficient for Confession. Our 
Catechism says: Imperfect contrition is sufficient for 
a worthy Confession, but we should endeavor to have 
perfect contrition. (Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board) . 


188 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

Write on the blackboard : 

1. Natural contrition—fear of harm or disgrace. 
—not good for a Christian. 

We should be sorry for sin: 

a) sin is the greatest evil; 

b) offends God; 

c) shuts us out of Heaven—condemns us to 
Hell. 

2. Imperfect contrition—fear of God (sufficient for 
a good Confession) (5) 

3. Perfect contrition—love of God. 

Synthesis. There is a three-fold contrition. We have 
seen that clearly in the case of the three chil¬ 
dren. What kind of contrition did the first little child 
have? Contrition is natural, when we repent of sin, 
because it causes us temporal harm or disgrace. This 
contrition is useless in God's sight and for Confession. 
Why should a Christian feel sorry for his sins ? What 
sort of contrition did the First Communicant have? 
Contrition is imperfect, when we are sorry for our sin, 
because we fear God's punishment, or because sin is 
so hateful in itself. It is called contrition of holy fear. 
This contrition is like silver in God’s sight. What kind 
of contrition did the oldest child have? Contrition is 
perfect, when we are sorry for sin, because we love 
God—contrition of holy love. This contrition is like 
gold in God's eyes. How many kinds of contrition are 
there? Is imperfect contrition sufficient for a worthy 
Confession? ( Have the pupils read the answers from 
the Catechism and blackboard. Assign the lesson for 
next class). 

Application. Now let us see, whether you have un¬ 
derstood contrition properly. 

1. Here is a child, that has eaten intemperately and 
then gets sick. Now it weeps for pain. That child is 


THE CHRISTIAN’S CONTRITION 


189 


a real Magdalen, is it not? Natural contrition. A per¬ 
son has committed a theft and is locked up for it. Now 
he swears solemnly and earnestly: “I will never do 
that again as long as I live.” What do you say about 
that contrition? Natural contrition. A child has 
grieved its mother most deeply. Therefore its father 
is angry. “Never come in my sight again !” he says, 
and he does not look at the child for a whole week and 
does not speak a kind word to it anymore. The child 
can no longer stand it and humbly begs the father to 
forgive all. 

2. The Prophet Jonas preached to the people of Ni- 
nive: “After forty days the city will be destroyed.” 
Then all the people began to fast strictly and to pray 
and to do penance. Imperfect contrition. Why did 
Magdalen repent of her sinful life? For love of Jesus— 
therefore, perfect contrition—contrition of holy love. 
King David wept over his sins, so that his heart near¬ 
ly broke; and how did he pray? Perfect contrition— 
contrition of holy love and fear. The Apostle Thomas 
did not want to believe that Jesus was arisen again 
from the dead. But when he saw his good Master, he 
fell down at His feet and called out in sorrow: “My 
Lord and my God !” Perfect contrition—contrition of 
holy love. Augustine was a great sinner up to his thir¬ 
tieth year. But then he became a great Saint. Weep¬ 
ing he cried out: “0 God, O God, too late have I loved 
Thee !”—Perfect contrition—contrition of holy love. 
What contrition did St. Peter have? Contrition of 
holy love burned in his soul like a fire. 

Let us also humbly repent of our sins. All of you 
say with your lips and your heart: “My Jesus and my 
all, have mercy on me !” 



190 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


LESSON XXIV. 
Imperfect Contrition. 
(Supplementary) 


Catechetical Unit: 

How can we excite ourselves to an act of imper¬ 
fect contrition? 

(N. B. Most children of this age will not as yet have com¬ 
mitted formal mortal sins, but rather only venial sins. There¬ 
fore, here special attention is given to leading the children to 
contrition for their venial sins). 

Presentation. Dear children, you already know true 
Christian contrition. Without good contrition there 
is no good Confession. Let us repeat once more: When 
is our contrition natural? — imperfect? — perfect? 
(Question the pupils briefly on the foregoing lesson). 
Now doubtless you would like to know: What 
shall I do to obtain true contrition ? But first 
tell me: What evil consequences has mortal sin ? 
Why ought we to avoid venial sins too ? 

Aim. Now I am going to show you: how you ought 
to excite yourselves to contrition, and particularly to 
contrition of holy fear. Let us first pray to God: 
“Come, 0 Holy Ghost, enlighten us, that we may sin¬ 
cerely repent of our sins.” 

I believe, that the most of you have no mortal sins. 
Happy children, for you are still God’s children. But 
have you not as yet ever committed any venial sins? 
0 yes, you all have committed venial sins. Just think 
of your careless prayers, of your carelessness in pro¬ 
nouncing holy names. Just recall your disobedience, 
your unkind conduct towards your brothers and sis¬ 
ters and other children. Think of the many times you 
have taken things secretly, without permission, of your 
lies and of the many other wicked things. Many a one 
imagines indeed, that those things are mere trifles. 


IMPERFECT CONTRITION 191 

Is that true? Just look into your heart, then look up 
into Heaven and down into Purgatory. 

Presentation and Explanation. 

I. Venial Sins. 

1. A little First Communicant is just going to the 
church. Its heart is filled with happiness, for it 
knows: Today Jesus is coming to me. But that child 
is not careful; it stumbles on a stone and falls down 
into the mud. Then it begins to cry bitterly: “My 
beautiful, white dress !” All of you surely would have 
sympathy for such a child, would you not? But now 
look into your oivn heart. In Holy Baptism you have 
received a wonderfully beautiful white garment. The 
Angels themselves were glad of that and said one to 
the other: Just look at that glorious heavenly garment 
of grace. But how does it look now? Your many 
venial sins are dirt spots on that white garment of 
the soul. If you could see it, how you would detest 
those sins! Children, should things remain like that? 
No; therefore, say with all your heart: O my God, I 
have soiled the garment of grace—have mercy on me. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard; see the dia¬ 
gram below just above the synthesis). 

2. Reflect further: If the garment of the soul is so 
soiled with filth, could God have any use for it in 
Heaven ? No; why you would not fit in Heaven at all. 
You would have to feel ashamed, if you were to stand 
there so dirty and filthy among the Angels and Saints 
of Heaven. You would run away for shame and you 
would not want to stay in Heaven. Do you see? Be¬ 
cause of your sins you have lost Heaven —at least for a 
time. How foolish to sin and thereby to lose Heaven, 
even for a short time. Pray again together: 0 my God, 
I have lost Heaven—have mercy on me. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard). 


192 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


3. Now look down into Purgatory! Just consider 
the Poor Souls how they burn and suffer. They have 
no rest day and night, until all, even the smallest spots 
of sin, have been burned away by the fire. And how 
they long for the dear Lord. The Poor Souls would 
like to go to God; but they cannot go to God; for their 
sins hold them back. And how they long for Heaven. 
If the Poor Souls could die, they would die of home¬ 
sickness for Heaven. How hard it is to wait. A single 
hour seems to them like a whole eternity. Children, 
this fire of Purgatory you also have deserved by your 
venial sins, and that not only once, but most likely 
hundreds of times. Do you want to go to Purgatory? 
Feel sorry again and detest your sins: O my God, I 
have deserved Purgatory—have mercy on me. ( Re¬ 
peat together; use the blackboard ). 

Repeat once more those three little prayers.—That 
is how you ought to excite yourselves to contrition, if 
you have venial sins; that is contrition of holy fear. 

But I fear, that one or the other of you may have 
mortal sins in his heart. Perhaps you have, through 
your own fault, missed Holy Mass on a Sunday, or 
done wicked, impure things. Poor child, look into 
your heart, into Heaven, into Hell. 

II. Mortal Sins. 

1. Think of your Holy Baptism. O how beautiful 
was not your soul at that time. It was cleansed in 
the Blood of Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost adorned it 
with the wonderful heavenly garment of grace. The 
heavenly Father Himself was filled with joy and said 
to His Angels: Behold, that is My dear child, in whom 
I am pleased ! What a great thing it is to be a child 
of God! But mortal sin was committed. Gone is all 
the heavenly beauty from your soul, the precious 
heavenly garment is lost, the soul is soiled, as it were, 
with the filth of Hell. Poor child, you are no longer a 
child of God. The Angels mourn and the wicked spir- 


IMPERFECT CONTRITION 


193 


its rejoice. What an awful evil mortal sin really is ! 
Child, does that not grieve you in your soul? Do you 
want to remain in mortal sin? No; you want, oh so 
much, to obtain a pure heart. Then pray: 0 my God , 
I have lost Thy grace—have mercy on me. (Repeat 
together; use the blackboard). 

Whoever prays like that with all his heart, has al¬ 
ready the contrition of a Christian. Tell me, why?— 
To lose God's grace, no longer to be a child of God, 
all that is a punishment of God. To feel sorry for 
one’s sins for those reasons—that is imperfect contri¬ 
tion—contrition of holy fear, or silver contrition. 

2. Child, look up into Heaven. Look up into Heaven 
with the eyes of your soul. Thousands and thousands 
of Angels are soaring about the throne of God. They 
are praying and singing and rejoicing, so that the 
whole Heavens are re-echoing: Holy, holy, holy! And 
multitudes of Saints are standing before God’s throne. 
They are allowed to shine like eternal lights in the 
temple of Heaven and pray and sing with the Angels: 
Holy, holy, holy ! But high above all the Angels and 
Saints there is a throne. And on that throne sits a 
Lady, more lovely and glorious than the morning sun; 
and a crown of twelve stars is upon her head. Who is 
this Lady? It is Mary, the Queen of Heaven. If there 
were nothing else in Heaven, for that reason alone the 
Angels and Saints would be happy. But the eyes of 
the soul see even more. There above the highest 
heights, surrounded by a whole sea of light, Jesus is 
enthroned and the Most Blessed Trinity. And the An¬ 
gels and the Saints may look upon God face to face. 
That is a glory and a happiness, which no human 
mind can conceive and no human heart describe. 

So beautiful is Heaven! And now just think: This 
Heaven with all its happiness, you have lost, lost for 
a short, sinful pleasure. Oh, how could you be so fool¬ 
ish ! Poor child, you have every reason to mourn and to 
weep. If you were to die in your sins, what then?— 
Then your Guardian Angel will stand at your death- 


194 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


bed with a flaming sword and say: Away ! you have 
lost Heaven—lost it forever! Repent and say: O my 
God , I have lost Heaven—have mercy on me! (Re¬ 
peat together; use the blackboard). 

To lose Heaven is a punishment of God. To feel 
sorry for one’s sins for that reason, what sort of con¬ 
trition is that? Contrition of holy fear is sufficient for 
Confession; God will pardon the poor sinner. 

3. Finally, once more look into Hell! What, if you 
were now to die in mortal sin ? Your soul will 
go down into the abyss. Ever deeper and deeper it de¬ 
scends, until it lies buried in a sea of fire. There it 
hears the heart-rending lamentation and howling and 
gnashing of teeth of the damned. The evil spirits fall 
upon the soul and scourge it with fiery scourges. Ter¬ 
ribly does the fire burn the soul—it would like to burn 
out the sins from the soul, but that is impossible. And 
this pain and suffering will never cease, never for all 
eternity. You can only burn and burn forever and 
suffer without ceasing. Poor child, do you want that ? 
No, not for any price ! Then away with your sins ! 
Pray: O my God , I have deserved Hell—have mercy 
on me ! (Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

Hell is a punishment of God for mortal sin. To 
feel sorry for one’s sins for fear of Hell, that again is 
imperfect contrition, or contrition of holy fear. If a 
penitent has this contrition in his soul, his Confes¬ 
sion is valid; from a child of sin is made a child of 
grace. 

Write on the blackboard : 

Imperfect Contrition: 

—soiled the garment of grace; 

—lost Heaven ( !) ; 

—deserved Purgatory; 

—lost grace; 

—lost Heaven; 

—deserved Hell. 


IMPERFECT CONTRITION 


195 


Synthesis. We have now seen how you should 
make an act of imperfect contrition. If you have only 
venial sins, where ought you to look ? First a glance in¬ 
to your own heart, then into Heaven, then into Purga¬ 
tory ! How ought you to pray at the same time?—But 
if you have mortal sins, where ought you to look?— 
Again first into your own soul, then a glance into 
Heaven, finally a glance into Hell. How ought you to 
pray at the same time?—But remember well! alone 
you cannot repent of your sins at all; the Holy Ghost 
must help you with His grace. We should with the 
help of God’s grace earnestly consider (call to mind), 
that by sin we have deserved to be punished by God. 
(Have the pupils read the answers from the black¬ 
board. Assign the lesson for the next class.) 

Application. 1. Now let us briefly again go through 
the entire examination of conscience. Now think ser¬ 
iously of your sins! Let us pause a little at each Com¬ 
mandment, so that we can think. 1. Commandment 
—Prayer; Faith, Hope, Charity; Religion. 2. Com¬ 
mandment—Holy Names. You will perhaps have 
found many venial sins. Now let us at once say the 
act of contrition together. 

O my God, I have soiled the garment of grace— 
have mercy on me! 

O my God, I have lost Heaven—have mercy on me! 

O my God, I have deserved Purgatory—have mercy 
on me! 

2. Just think again: Did you perhaps also soil your 
soul by mortal sins ? Do you know what you have 
lost in that case? Do you know what you have de¬ 
served ?—0 good Holy Ghost, help me, to feel sorry for 
all! 

O my God, I have lost Thy grace—have mercy on me! 

0 my God, I have lost Heaven—have mercy on me ! 

O my God, I have deserved Hell—have mercy on me! 


196 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


LESSON XXV. 
Perfect Contrition. 
(Supplementary) 


Catechetical Unit: 

How can we excite ourselves to an act of perfect 
contrition ? 

Preparation. Dear children, contrition of holy fear 
is like silver in the sight of God. You already know 
how to make such an act. Let us first review this 
teaching. ( Question the pupils briefly on the preced¬ 
ing lesson) . Silver contrition is precious indeed; but 
more precious is golden contrition. The former you 
must have, the latter you ought to have for Confes¬ 
sion. Yes, contrition of holy love can work wonders 
in the soul. You will soon see what I mean. But first 
tell me: In what does the malice of mortal sin consist? 
—When is our contrition perfect?— 

Aim. Now pay attention ! I am going to show 
you how you ought to excite in yourselves an act of 
perfect contrition. 

Presentation and Explanation. 

1. Look up at the cross! Imagine, that Jesus sud¬ 
denly becomes alive and is looking at you so kindly 
and lovingly. Then he opens His mouth and begins 
to speak: Child, what have you done to Me by your 
sins! Look at the painful crown of thorns on My head: 
I bear it gladly—for love of you—for your sins! Look 
at My eyes, how they are all overrun with blood: I 
bear it gladly—for love of you—for your sins! Look 
at My hands and feet, how they are firmly nailed to 
the shameful wood of the cross: I suffer it gladly—for 
love of you—for your sins! Look at My body, how it 
is maltreated, covered with wounds: I will not com¬ 
plain—for love of you. I will die on the cross, die for 


PERFECT CONTRITION 197 

love—for your sins. Child, have you no longer a lit¬ 
tle spark of love in your heart for Me? Do you want 
to scourge Me again and crown Me with thorns and 
crucify Me by your sins ? Behold, gladly would I 
endure all this again, gladly would I die again, if only 
your poor soul is not lost: so great is My love! 

Children, can you still be cold and indifferent? What 
do you want to answer Jesus? You can only say: 
My Jesus, I, too, am the cause of Thy suffering and 
death. Then pray: 0 my Jesus , Who didst die for 
me on the cross—have mercy on me. (Repeat togeth¬ 
er; use the blackboard; see the diagram below just 
above the synthesis ). 

If thus for love of Jesus you feel sorry for your 
sins, you have contrition of holy love, perfect con¬ 
trition. This contrition of love is so mighty, that it 
burns at once from the soul all sins. Do you now un¬ 
derstand, why I said, that contrition of holy love can 
work wonders in the soul ? If you have this contrition 
of holy love in your heart, your heart is made pure 
from sin immediately, even before Confession. To be 
sure, you must still confess your sins; for God wills 
that and Jesus has expressly commanded it. Every 
penitent ought earnestly to endeavor to excite him¬ 
self to an act of contrition of holy love. That, of 
course, is not so easy; but it can be done with the 
grace of God. Let us say together: We ought with the 
grace of God earnestly to consider , that Jesus died 
on the cross for our sins . 

2. Now look up into Heaven! Up there there dwells 
a very good Father. He loves you as only the best of 
fathers can love his child. Therefore He watches 
over you as the apple of His eye and has given you a 
special Guardian Angel and has commanded him: 
Guard My child and lead it safely to Heaven! And 
how the heavenly Father already rejoices, that He will 
some day be able to press you to His kind fatherly 
Heart! And how much good has He not already done 
for you!—He gave you life and He gives it to you again 


198 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


every moment. He gave you a healthy body. He gives 
you your daily bread. Yes, He has given you the great¬ 
est gift, that God can give—the Christ Child. Thus 
God is your best Father, and your greatest Benefac¬ 
tor. What does He want from you in return for all 
that? Nothing, except that you love Him like good 
children: Child, give Me thy heart! 

But how ungrateful you have been; how often you 
have offended your good Father in Heaven! Just re¬ 
flect a little: God gave you your eyes—and you have 
misused them to sin. Is not that ungrateful? God 
gave you your ears—and you have willingly listened to 
wicked talk. Is not that ungrateful? God gave you 
a tongue—and you have spoken sinful words, or even 
made use of detestable, filthy talk. Tell me yourself: 
Is that a child's love and a child’s gratitude? What 
should you do now? You ought to beg pardon of your 
best of fathers and greatest of benefactors, for having 
been so ungrateful and unkind: O my God, I have of¬ 
fended Thee, the best of fathers and the greatest of 
benefactors—have mercy on me! (Repeat together; 
use the blackboard). 

To feel sorry for your sins, because you have been 
ungrateful and unloving towards God, that is again 
contrition of holy love; that is worth its weight in 
gold in God’s sight and as mighty as fire. Of course, 
this fire of holy love only the Holy Ghost can light in 
your soul; He must assist you with His holy grace. 
Let us repeat together: We ought with the help of 
God's grace earnestly to consider, that sin offends God , 
the best of fathers and the greatest of benefactors. 

3. When children see something beautiful, perhaps 
a golden ring and in it a sparkling jewel, they would 
like to have it very much; for such a ring is a precious 
treasure. But what is the most precious ring as com¬ 
pared with God ? Nothing but a worthless thing. Just 
look with the eyes of your soul into Heaven! Thousands 


PERFECT CONTRITION 199 

and thousands of Angels stand before God’s throne 
and one is more beautiful and glorious than the other. 
And in Heaven there are as many Saints as there are 
stars in the heavens and each one may shine in heav¬ 
enly glory. But what are all the Angels and Saints 
together when compared with the glory of God? It 
is as though the morning sun, sparkling in glory, rises 
on the heavens: before its splendor all the stars grow 
pale and disappear. Thus, too, must all the Angels 
and Saints grow pale before the splendor of God. And 
now reflect: The Angels and Saints may continually 
look upon and adore and sing to God. Then they glow 
in holy joy and swim in a sea of happiness. They look 
and look and cannot grow tired of the sight of God’s 
glory. And even though they look at God for 
thousands of years, they imagine, that it was only a 
moment, and the happiness begins all over again. Is 
not God the highest and most loving good? Is He not 
worthy of all our love? 

Children, would you not like, some day, to look at 
this highest and most loving good and adore and praise 
it for all eternity? You all want some day to have a 
share in that, do you not? But what have you done? 
Sin was dearer to you than God, the highest good. Must 
not that offend the dear Lord? Let us ask Him to¬ 
gether to pardon us for that: 0 my God, I have of¬ 
fended Thee, the highest and most amiable good ■— 
have mercy on me! (Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board) . 

If thus you feel sorry for your sins for love of God, 
again you have contrition of holy love. But can you 
obtain this contrition alone? No, the Holy Ghost must 
help you; He must make your heart warm with love by 
His grace. Let us say together: We ought with the 
assistance of Gods grace earnestly to consider that sin 
offends God, the highest and most amiable good. 


200 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Write on the blackboard: 

Perfect Contrition: 

1. Jesus—died for me on the cross; 

2. I have offended God—the best of fathers, the 

greatest of benefactors; 

3. I have offended God—the highest, most amiable 

good. 

Synthesis. What you have heard today, you ought 
never to forget; you need that for your whole life. 
When is our contrition perfect? What should we do, 
in order to excite in ourselves perfect contrition ? How 
can we briefly excite in ourselves an act of perfect con¬ 
trition? Of course, the prayer, the act of contrition, 
must come from the heart; only then will it go to the 
Heart of God and God will pardon you. ( Have the 
pupils read the answers from the blackboard. Assign 
the lesson for the next class). 

Application. 1. Now, perhaps you might have one 
more doubt. How must a person, that has only 
venial sins, make an act of contrition ? A person, that 
is guilty of mortal sins? Now how about contrition 
of holy love? Golden contrition is the same for all, 
great and small sinners. See, Jesus had to suffer and 
die for little sins, too. Venial sins also offend God, 
the best of fathers and the greatest of benefactors. 
Just recall the question: Why ought we carefully to 
avoid also venial sins? 

2. Now reflect once more a little on your sins. Pray 
to the Holy Ghost for His grace: “Come, O Holy 
Ghost.” Then let us pray together with heart and 
lips the act of contrition of holy fear and holy love, 
just as a child ought to pray, if it has only venial sins. 

O my God, I have soiled the garment of grace— 
have mercy on me! 

O my God, I have lost Heaven—have mercy on me! 

0 my God, I have deserved Purgatory—have mercy 
on me! 


CONTRITION—WHEN ? 201 

O my Jesus, Who didst die for me on the cross—have 
mercy on me! 

0 my God, I have offended Thee, the best of fathers 
and the greatest of benefactors—have mercy on me! 

O my God, I have offended Thee, the highest and 
most amiable good—have mercy on me! 

How must a child that has mortal sins make an act 
of imperfect and perfect contrition ?— 

(N. B. The act of contrition must be practised until all the 
children are familiar with it. The catechist ought not to think, 
that this practise is unnecessary. Experience teaches, that 
many children, who go to Confession, do not know at all, how 
and why they should feel sorry for their sins.) 


LESSON XXVI. 

Contrition—When ? 

(Supplementary) 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) When should we make an act of perfect contri¬ 
tion? (Deharbe) 

2) Can contrition ever be supplied in case of neces¬ 
sity? (Deharbe) 

3) When must we make an act of contrition in the 
Sacrament of Penance? (Deharbe) 

Preparation. Dear children, once a great sinner 
came to St. Vincent of Paul. The Saint had a sincere 
sympathy for the poor man. For he thought to him¬ 
self: You also have an immortal soul; and even though 
it is soiled with the detestable filth of sin, still it may 
not be lost. Therefore Vincent spoke kindly to the sin¬ 
ner: “My dear friend ! Confess your sins sincerely 
and begin a new life again.” However, all his talk 
was useless. At his departure the Saint gave the sin¬ 
ner a little picture of Jesus, as He falls to the earth 
under the heavy load of the cross. “Poor friend,” 
Vincent said; “take this little picture as a souvenir of 


202 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


my well-meant, but unfortunately fruitless advice. Only 
one thing I ask of you: Look at this picture each night 
before you go to sleep, even though it be only for a 
few moments.” “Nothing else?” asked the sinner. 
“No, nothing else, but think also of the fact that your 
sins have cast the Saviour down to the earth. How 
long will you allow Him to lie under the weight of your 
sins ?” “Oh, I can do that,” replied the sinner smiling. 
Evening came and as he had promised he looked at the 
picture. “A monotonous picture,” he said to himself; 
“what might it mean ?” On the second evening he 
gazed at the picture once more. “That picture is not 
so bad after all,” he said quietly to himself; “really, I 
am almost beginning to like it.” On the third evening 
as he again looked at the picture, suddenly he became 
all serious. His heart was deeply moved as he gazed 
at the dear Saviour. Then he fell down upon his 
knees, and began to pray and to weep over his sins. 
That night seemed to him like a little eternity; he 
could scarcely wait for the morning. When it was day¬ 
light, he went to the Saint and said: “I cannot stand it 
any longer. I want to confess my sins and become a 
different man.” All filled with contrition he acknowl¬ 
edged his guilt and found peace for his poor heart. 
So powerful is the grace of God. Dear children, let us 
first review the lesson on the act of perfect contrition. 
(Question the pupils briefly on the foregoing lesson ). 

What power has contrition of holy love? It puri¬ 
fies the soul from all sins. That is very important for 
the Christian life. Contrition has already saved many 
souls from Hell for Heaven. I am going to tell you 
a story about that. 

Aim. From this story you will learn: when you 
ought to umke an act of perfect contrition . 

Presentation. On the eighth of December, 1881, a 
great theater burned down in the city of Vienna, Aus¬ 
tria. That was a frightful spectacle. While every 
one was sitting quietly and looking at the stage, sud- 


CONTRITION—WHEN ? 203 

denly the cry was heard: “Fire! Fire!” Already the 
flames were blazing high and fiercely. Everyone 
pushes forward towards the exits; for every one wants 
to save his own life. The people cry and weep and 
push one another. Many are thrown down to the floor 
and stepped upon. In a short time the sea of flames 
spreads over the whole building. Hundreds of peo¬ 
ple were present, when the fire broke out; among them 
many children too. Many of them met an awful death 
in the smoke and the flames. 

A little girl of nine years of age fortunately was 
saved. Later on she said to her teacher in Christian 
Doctrine: “The people cried out and wept and wrung 
their hands; others prayed in their terror of death. 
Where I happened to be, there were about forty per¬ 
sons all huddled together. A man next to me con¬ 
tinually made the sign of the cross and shouted for 
help in his despair. But five children—I think they 
were brothers and sisters—knelt down and prayed 
with me.” 

Then the catechist asked the little girl: “But child, 
what did you pray in danger of death?” The child 
replied: “I prayed to the Holy Guardian Angel and 
then—an act of perfect contrition. My aunt was there 
also with me. She is a pious woman and goes to Con¬ 
fession often. She knew very well, that in danger 
of death one ought to make an act of perfect contri¬ 
tion ; but for fear she could no longer say the prayer. 
I had to say the act of contrition for her. While we 
were praying, other people knelt down beside us. My 
aunt told them what power this act of contrition had. 
Then most of the people prayed with us, but I said the 
prayer aloud. Meanwhile the firemen had come and 
we were saved from the danger of death.” The the¬ 
ater was soon changed into a church, so that prayers 
and the Holy Mass could be offered for the souls of the 
dead. (“Ambrosius,” 1882). 

Explanation. 1. Did the little girl of our story act 
properly ? The child was in danger of death. Already 


204 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

the theater was beginning to fill up with smoke. Closer 
and closer the fiery flames came. It could not be much 
longer, before all would have been hopelessly lost. To 
burn alive—what an awful death! What did the oth¬ 
er people do while in danger of death ? They all lost 
their heads and no longer knew how to save them¬ 
selves. Even that little ghTs aunt, who was a pious 
woman, indeed, was all bewildered with fright. But 
what did the little girl do in danger of death? She 
made an act of perfect contrition immediately. Why 
an act of perfect contrition? The girl was only nine 
years of age; how did she come to say that prayer? 
The child had heard in school, what power contrition 
of holy love has. She knew very wpll: That kind of 
contrition acts in the soul like a fire and immediately 
burns out of the soul every sin. The child remembered 
that well, and when in danger of death that thought 
came into her mind at once. You, too, ought to re¬ 
member that well: In the danger of death we should 
at once make an act of perfect contrition. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard; see the diagram below 
just above the synthesis.) 

But only contrition of love has that wonderful pow¬ 
er. Contrition of holy fear is not so powerful; it can¬ 
not help us at all in danger of death. Whoever has 
only imperfect contrition, must also confess; whoever 
has contrition of love (perfect contrition) needs only 
the good intention of confessing his sins. Do you 
think, that those other people had the good intention? 
Indeed, I believe, that not a single one of them wanted 
to die in his sins. They all would have liked to go to 
Confession first. Remember that well: In case of 
necessity there is a substitute for Confession—contri¬ 
tion of holy love with a firm purpose of confessing. 
If one cannot receive the Sacrament of Penance, it can 
be supplied by an act of perfect contrition and the earn¬ 
est resolution to confess one’s sins, as soon as the oc¬ 
casion comes. (Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 

2. But really we are always somewhat in danger of 


CONTRITION—WHEN ? 


205 


death. Is that so?—Yes; for our life hangs only on a 
thread. Not very much is required to break the thread. 
From life to death it is only a step. If a person dies in 
sin, what then ?—He goes into eternal death, into Hell. 
Therefore mortal sin is the greatest misfortune. 

But it is still worse to remain in mortal sin. What 
does one do, when a person gets sick? One calls the 
doctor at once, is that not so? The longer one waits, 
the worse does the evil grow. Now a person in mortal 
sin, has a mortal, a deadly, disease in his soul. The 
longer he waits, the worse does his case become. Why? 
—The poor sinner falls deeper and deeper into the mis¬ 
ery of sin. What ought such a person to do?—He ought 
to go to the doctor at once and confess; that would be 
the best thing for him to do. But unfortunately that 
cannot always be done immediately. But one thing is 
possible with God’s grace—to make an act of perfect 
contrition. A person in mortal sin ought to do that as 
soon as possible, if his immortal soul is dear to him.— 
We ought to make an act of perfect contrition as often 
as we have the misfortune to commit a mortal sin and 
cannot immediately go to Confession. (Repeat togeth¬ 
er; use the blackboard .)—Among those people, that 
were saved, there were most likely many, that were 
guilty of mortal sins. If they were good Christians, 
what would they have done immediately after their 
sin?—Yes, that is the Christian way—to confess the 
sin at once, or at least to feel sorry for it; but to re¬ 
main in mortal sin, that is the greatest foolishness. 

3. Many died a terrible death in the fire. Perhaps 
there were also some among them, that had mortal sin. 
They had not time to feel sorry for their sins; for 
death suddenly surprised them and seized them with 
its claws. Others in danger of death thought only of 
being saved, but not of having contrition for their sins. 
Many knew nothing at all of the wondrous power of 
perfect contrition. Thus they died in their sins; where 
are they now?—Those poor persons are now burning 
in the fire of Hell and will burn forever. Not only their 


206 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


bodies burned miserably, but their souls also are burn¬ 
ing in the eternal fire. For contrition is so necessary, 
that it cannot be supplied by anything or in any case. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard.) I would like 
to write that in your hearts with indelible letters: 
Without contrition—no pardon: without contrition— 
no salvation: without contrition—lost forever! Do 
you now see how precious, yes how inestimable con¬ 
trition of holy love is? Yes, like an Angel Guardian 
contrition of holy love has already saved countless 
souls from eternal death and has brought them to 
Heaven. 

4. Without contrition no sin will ever be forgiven. 
For contrition is the chief thing in Confession. When, 
therefore, should the penitent make an act of contri¬ 
tion? Will he wait until he is already kneeling in the 
confessional? No, a conscientious penitent will make 
an act of contrition immediately after the examination 
of conscience.—We must make the act of contrition be¬ 
fore our Confession, or, at least, before the priest gives 
us Absolution. ( Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 
That is clear; for after the absolution it is too late. 
First contrition, then absolution. 


1. Perfect Contrition 


Write on the blackboard : 

( 1. in danger of death; 

I 2. after mortal sin. 

2. Without contrition—no pardon. 

3. Contrition—before Confession—(absolution). 


Synthesis. What you have heard today that too you 
ought not to forget any more throughout your whole 
life.—To confess is necessary. But what can take the 
place of Confession in case of necessity?—When must 
one make an act of contrition in Confession?—What 
contrition is sufficient for Confession?—When ought 
one to make an act of contrition outside of Confession ? 
—What kind of contrition should we try to make?— 
Can contrition also be supplied in case of necessity?— 


CONTRITION—WHEN ? 207 

Therefore either feel sorry for your sins or burn for 
them some day! ( Have the pupils read the answers 
from the blackboard. Assign the lesson for the next 
class.) 

Application. 1 . Do you still know, what a good child 
ought to do in the evening?—Did you up till now ex¬ 
amine your conscience? Did you feel sorry for your 
sins each time? Many a man lay down at night per¬ 
fectly well and never got up again in the morning; he 
died suddenly in his sins. To die without Confession 
and contrition—what an awakening must that not be 
in eternity! Would you like to die like that some time? 
And yet, one can say in advance almost with certainty, 
that some of you also will die without Confession. Do 
you want to die also without contrition? Then accus¬ 
tom yourselves to this: Examine your conscience 
every evening and each time make an act of contrition 
of holy love! That is the way to die well. 

2. It might easily happen, that your father or 
mother or somebody else of the family suddenly gets 
sick unto death. What is to be done then?—Just listen 
to how a good boy acted! Once his father got very 
sick, yes sick unto death. Weeping and lamenting all 
stood about the sick-bed of the father. Only the boy 
remained calm, took the crucifix from the wall and 
put it into his father's hands. Then he recited slowly 
for him the act of perfect contrition and the desire: 
Oh! if only I could confess and go to Holy Communion. 
Before the priest arrived, the father had already died. 
—The boy performed his task well. That is the proper 
thing to do. Remember that! Perhaps thus you also 
can save an immortal soul for Heaven. 

3. But it might also happen that you too will get 
into the danger of death just like the child, about 
whom I told you in today's story: you might choke, 
drown, fall down, be run over. What ought you to do 
then at once?—If you are no longer able to save your 
life, at least save your soul—by an act of contrition 
of holy love. 


208 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

LESSON XXVII. 

Purpose of Amendment. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) What must contrition necessarily include? (De- 
harbe.) 

2) What do you mean by the firm purpose of sin¬ 
ning no more? L. XVIII, Q. 208. 

3) What are the qualities of a good purpose of sin¬ 
ning no more? (Deharbe.) 

Preparation. Dear children, a man commits a mur¬ 
der. They hang him. He may be very sorry for it; no 
matter, they will not forgive him; they hang him. A 
man commits the most terrible crimes against God; the 
man is sorry, God forgives him! Let us review this 
teaching. (Question the pupils briefly on the preced¬ 
ing lesson.) —Contrition has a brother—it is the firm 
purpose of sinning no more. Think again of the prodi¬ 
gal son! He said to himself: “I will arise and go to 
my father.” What did he resolve to do at the same 
time in his heart?—If my father receives me again, 
henceforth I will be a good and a faithful son. He 
wanted earnestly to amend his life. Thus also must a 
person act, who wishes to go to Confession. 

Aim. I must now show you a little more exactly: 
what the sinner must resolve to do, when he confesses. 
—But first a story of how a great sinner became a 
great and holy penitent:—it is Margaret (of Cortona). 

Presentation. Margaret was a young and beautiful 
child. But that very thing was her misfortune. When 
she became a young lady, she secretly left her father’s 
house and led a wicked, sinful life. Then something 
happened, that moved her heart deeply. The compan¬ 
ion of her sins was murdered. Margaret found the 
corpse in the bushes in a woods; it was covered all 
over with blood and was already spreading a horrible 
odor of corruption. What a sight for the sinner! 
Silent and dazed with astonishment she gazed at the 


PURPOSE OF AMENDMENT 209 

corpse. At that moment a ray of grace fell into her 
soul. She sighed: “Oh, how quickly all sinful pleasure 
and all earthly joys pass away! I wonder, where his 
soul is? Oh, merciful God! I will do penance.” 

Immediately she gave away all her ornaments. With 
a rope about her neck she knelt before the door of the 
church and begged those that passed by: “Forgive me! 
I have given such a wicked example!” Her father 
heard of it and was furious over it. In his anger he 
cast out his daughter from the house: it was an awful 
night. Margaret spent the night in the garden. The 
wicked enemy whispered to her: “What have you now 
with all your penance? God has forsaken you; your 
father has put you out. Continue your life of sin. 
You cannot be helped any more!” However, Margaret 
sighed unceasingly: “0 Jesus, have mercy on me!” 
Then suddenly she heard a voice in her heart: “Arise 
and confess your sins, all the sins of your whole life!” 

Margaret obeyed at once the interior counsel, con¬ 
fessed all and wept bitterly over her wicked life, and 
did not want to have anything more to do with her 
sins. She began to do penance most zealously. After 
the hard work of the day, she spent several hours of 
the night in prayer, and thought a great deal about 
Christ’s bitter sufferings and death. However, Satan 
would not allow her any rest. Again he came and 
whispered into her heart in a very flattering manner: 
“Stop your penance! It is enough. God has already 
pardoned your sins. Enjoy again the pleasures of 
life!” But the Saint would not allow herself to be 
deceived. On the contrary she said: “Away, false 
serpent!” 

Then she knelt down before a picture of the Cruci¬ 
fied and prayed a long time and with perseverance. 
Thus did the penitent continue to do during her whole 
life—for twenty-four years longer. Then she died as 
a Saint. 

Explanation. 1. a) Margaret was on the road to 
Hell. But she turned back, while there was still time. 


210 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

How did that happen?—Margaret saw the corpse of 
the sinner. She was moved so mightily at that sight, 
that her heart trembled with terror. But do you think 
that for that reason she was already converted? O 
no, without God's grace she would have continued her 
life of sin. But then the Holy Ghost suddenly en¬ 
lightened her mind. Now indeed her eyes were opened: 
What a miserable sinner I am! And she wept bitter 
tears of contrition.—There you see again, how much 
we need the Holy Ghost for Confession. Consequently 
we pray: “Come, Holy Ghost, and enlighten my mind, 
that I may rightly know my sins and repent of them!" 

However, soon there came a severe trial for Mar¬ 
garet. How did Satan try to deceive her?—“God has 
abandoned you. You cannot be helped any more ! 
Therefore you also abandon God and despair !" Did 
Margaret listen to the voice of the tempter?—No, she 
merely continued to pray: “0 Jesus, have mercy on 
me!” What did she think in her heart at the same 
time?—My sins are great indeed, but God's mercy is 
still greater. He will not abandon me, but will pardon 
me all: that is my hope. That was proper and good. 
It is not enough to feel sorry: contrition must neces¬ 
sarily include the hope of pardon. (Repeat together; 
use the blackboard; see the diagram below just above 
the synthesis.) 

b) W T hile Margaret was still praying, she heard a 
voice within saying: “Confess all your sins!" She 
obeyed at once; for it was the voice of God's grace. 
In Confession she found peace once more. But tell 
me: what did Margaret resolve to do at Confession ?— 
I am firmly resolved to begin an entirely new life. 
Away with sin! I will have nothing more to do with 
it and with everything that might lead me to sin. In 
all earnestness I am determined to lead a better life: 
from now on I am going to live for God and Heaven 
only. Thus must every penitent think and resolve to 
do. It is not enough to feel sorry: contrition must 
necessarily include the purpose of sinning no more , 


PURPOSE OF AMENDMENT 


211 


the resolution of amendment. (Repeat together; use 
the blackboard .) 2. Our Catechism says: By a firm 

purpose of sinning no more I mean a fixed resolve not 
only to avoid all mortal sin, but also its near occasions. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

But did Margaret really have this firm purpose of 
sinning no more?—Soon after the tempter came again. 
But this time he spoke differently.—“You have done 
enough penance. Enjoy life again!” Why suddenly 
so friendly?—The false serpent hoped: If she again 
becomes a child of the world, she will soon again be a 
sinner, and then she is mine! Margaret conquered 
the temptation victoriously. Just as once Christ said, 
so she also spoke in holy anger: “Begone, Satan!” So 
firm and fixed was her resolution of sinning no more. 
There one sees clearly, her contrition too was genuine 
gold. For contrition is hatred of sin. But whoever 
hates sin, will not commit sin any longer, not at any 
cost. 

3. Let us look at this good resolution a little more 
closely. Margaret had a burning contrition for her 
sins in her heart. How was her contrition?—Repeat: 
When is our contrition interior?—Now just as sincere 
as her contrition was her firm purpose of sinning no 
more. “I will amend my life and sin no more!” thus 
did the sinner speak, not merely with her lips, but also 
with her heart. Yes, such was her holy earnestness. 
Her purpose of sinning no more was interior.— Our 
purpose of sinning no more must be interior. (Repeat 
together; use the blackboard.) Margaret knew very 
well: God does not look upon the lips, but upon the 
heart. He that only says, I am going to amend my 
life, but really does not want to do that in all earnest¬ 
ness, is a hypocrite in God's eyes. 

4. Margaret repented of all the sins of her life and 
wept over them. What kind of sorrow had she?—Tell 
me again: When is our contrition universal?—As her 
contrition, so also was her purpose of sinning no more. 
“Rather die than sin again!”—thus was she firmly 


212 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

resolved to do.— Our firm purpose of sinning no more 
must be universal. (Repeat together; use the black- 
board.) 

5. If some one had offered her all the treasures of 
the world for a single mortal sin, she would have des¬ 
pised them all: Away! Not another mortal sin at any 
cost. Sin is the greatest evil that can befall me. 
When is our contrition sovereign?—As her contrition, 
so also her purpose of amendment. Our purpose of 
sinning no more must be sovereign. (Repeat together; 
use the blackboard.) 

6. Why did Margaret repent of her sinful life?— 
For fear of God’s punishment and for love of God. 
That is supernatural contrition. But the holy penitent 
henceforth wanted to have nothing more to do with 
sin; why?—She looked higher and thought: My Jesus, 
I will never leave Thee again! My God is dearer to 
me. Sin would make me unhappy forever. Her pur¬ 
pose of sinning no more was supernatural.— Our pur¬ 
pose of sinning no more must like contrition be super¬ 
natural. (Repeat together; use the blackboard.) — 

Write on the blackboard: 

1. To contrition belong 

1. the hope of pardon; 

2. the firm purpose of sinning no more. 

2. Firm purpose of sinning no more—of avoiding 

all mortal sins and near occasions of sin. 

3. Purpose of amendment: 

a) interior—in the heart; 

b) universal—no more mortal sins; 

c) sovereign—no mortal sin at any cost; 

d) supernatural — God’s punishment — God’s 

love. 

Synthesis. Contrition and the purpose of amend¬ 
ment are like two brothers. Brothers often look like 
each other. Contrition and the purpose of amendment 


PURPOSE OF AMENDMENT 


213 


look like each other. Let us remember therefore: 
What must necessarily be included in contrition?— 
What do you mean by the firm purpose of sinning no 
more?—How must our firm purpose of amendment 
be?—When is it interior?—universal?—sovereign?— 
supernatural?—( Have the pupils read the answers 
from the Catechism and the blackboard. Assign the 
lesson for the next class.) 

Application. 1. Margaret was a sinner and became 
a Saint. Who would have believed it! There you see, 
even the greatest sinner may not despair. He may not 
do as Judas did.—He felt terribly sorry for his sin. 
His sin burned in his soul like a glowing iron; the 
blood money burned his hands. Then he went to the 
High Council and threw the money down at their feet 
and said: “There you have your sinful money again! 
I have betrayed innocent blood!” That was all proper. 
But what ought the unhappy Apostle to have done?— 
He ought to have thought: Even though I have sinned 
grievously, Jesus will neverthless pardon me; I am 
going to beg Him to pardon me. However, the betrayer 
said: “My sin is too great; for me there is no forgive¬ 
ness any more.” He had no hope any longer and was 
lost.—Cain said also: “My sin is too great.” Entirely 
differently did the prodigal son act. He said: “I will 
arise and go home to my father.” He thought to him¬ 
self: He is after all my father and will not cast me 
out! Thus must the sinner think and hope: God is 
after all my Father. Jesus wanted to suffer and die 
for me also. God will pardon me all. 

2. The holy penitent Margaret faithfully kept her 
firm purpose of sinning no more. Who also did the 
same?—David, Peter, Magdalen. Many a sinner goes 
to Confession, but he is not in earnest with his pur¬ 
pose of amendment. What do you say to that?—Such 
a penitent has not contrition either. A Confession 
like that is worth as much as a nut without a kernel. 
What will God say to that?—If you are not willing to 
give up sin, I cannot forgive your sin either. 


214 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


3. Recall again what I have said to you about your 
chief fault — your predominant sin. — You ought to 
fight that daily. You should also have that in mind, 
when you make your firm purpose of sinning no more: 
I am going to avoid my predominant sin! For your 
chief sin is your chief enemy! 


LESSON XXVIII. 

Proximate Occasions of Sin. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) What do you mean by the near occasions of sin? 
L. XVIII, Q. 207. 

2) What must he be determined to do who forms a 
firm and sincere resolution of amendment? (first half: 
Deharbe). 

3) What ought they to consider, who will not avoid 
the proximate occasion or will not desist from their 
habitual sins? (Deharbe). 

Preparation. Dear children, St. Bonaventure tells a 
remarkable story. One day a wolf went to confession. 
Very sincerely he told his robberies and promised in 
tears to amend his life. But during the confession 
suddenly a great fear seized hold of him. Very much 
excited he looked about several times; for he noticed 
that the sheep were running away one after the other. 
He, therefore, begged the confessor: “Please, father, 
hurry a little, otherwise I will not be able to catch the 
sheep!”—Do you understand the fable?—There is a 
serious teaching contained in that story. Many a 
penitent acts as did that wolf. They confess their 
sins; but even while confessing they are thinking to 
themselves: After all I am going to commit this or 
that sin again! The good resolution of amendment is 
lacking. But that is necessary for contrition. You 
already know what the firm purpose of sinning no 


PROXIMATE OCCASIONS OF SIN 215 

more is. Let us first review that. ( Question the pupils 
briefly on the preceding lesson .)—However, you do 
not yet know all that belongs to contrition. 

Aim. I am now going to show you even more clear¬ 
ly : what a penitent must resolve to do. 

Presentation. A boy liked to go with bad compan¬ 
ions. His father warned him, saying: “Keep away 
from those boys! They are no company for you.” But 
the inexperienced boy answered: “Oh! father, they 
will not harm me.” But his father was in great dis¬ 
tress; for he loved his child as the apple of his eye. 
Therefore he determined to show the boy what danger 
threatened him. He filled a little box with the most 
beautiful apricots, that glistened like gold and purple. 
But among the good fruit he placed also a few rotten 
apricots. Then the father said: “My child! I give you 
this, so that you may see, how I love you.” The boy 
was filled with gratitude and joy. He counted the 
precious fruit carefully and examined them. Then 
suddenly he cried out: “But father, there are some 
rotten ones among them!” “That does not matter,” 
the father answered; “they will not spoil the good 
ones.” “No, father, I am afraid that the rotten ones 
will spoil the good fruit also.” “Just let them alone; 
let us try and see!” Then the little box was locked 
and the father took the key. 

But the boy had no rest. Soon he came again to his 
father and asked for the key, in order that he might 
see for himself. He opened the box. But what was he 
obliged to behold? The beautiful color of the fruit 
was gone; all the apricots were rotten and gave forth 
a bad odor. The boy commenced to cry: “But father, 
I said that from the start; now they are all rotten!” 
The father replied: “My child! do you know what I 
did that for? I wanted to show you, how that which 
is rotten affects that which is good and healthy. See! 
thus do the bad spoil the good. I warned you against 
your bad companions. But you said: There is no dan- 


216 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


ger; they will not harm me. You are sad, because the 
beautiful fruit is spoiled. But if your heart were 
spoiled, then perhaps, much, yes, all would be lost.” 

Explanation: 1. This boy wanted to be wiser than 
his father. His father had warned him: “Keep away 
from those bad boys! They are no company for you.” 
But what did the boy answer?—“Oh! they will not 
harm me.” However, the father knew well enough: 
Those bad boys will lead you astray too. For there you 
will see and hear bad things; and what they do, you 
will imitate. The father is wholly right. Whoever 
goes with wicked companions, will also become bad; 
the danger is too great. Just as the bad fruit corrupts 
the good fruit, so also bad children spoil good children. 
Bad companions, therefore, are a great danger to sin: 
a near occasion to sin (a proximate occasion). For 
there the occasion of seeing, and hearing, and learning 
evil, is very near. 

But there are also other occasions of sin. A child 
reads a bad book or looks at a bad picture. The book 
and the picture are near occasions of sin. Why?— 
The evil pleases the child and then the child commits 
sin.—A good child plays with bad children and it falls 
into sin. Do you see how evil comes from such con¬ 
duct? That play is a near occasion of sin.—A man 
goes into a theater and each time he comes out with 
sin on his soul. That theater is a near occasion of sin 
for him. Why?—He knows very well, that he falls 
into sin each time that he goes there.—Let us remem¬ 
ber therefore: A near occasion of sin is a great danger 
\J)£ sin or anything, that leads us to commit sin. Our 
Catechism says: By the near occasion of sin I mean all 
the persons, places and things, that may easily lead us 
into sin. ( Repeat together; use the blackboard; see 
the diagram below just above the synthesis.) 

2. Now that boy wants to confess. He has already 
a goodly number of sins, venial and perhaps also some 
mortal sins. You already know, what he must resolve 


PROXIMATE OCCASIONS OF SIN 217 

to do.—From now on no more mortal sins! That is 
my firm resolution.— The sinner must be determined 
to avoid, at least, all grievous sins. (Repeat together; 
use the blackboard.) That is clear. If there is only 
one mortal sin, which he does not feel sorry for, he 
remains in mortal sin. If there is only one mortal sin, 
which he does not wish to avoid, but thinks: “I will 
commit that again anyway!” he is and remains in 
mortal sin. 

But what if the boy has only venial sins, what ought 
he to resolve to do?—I resolve to avoid at least one 
venial sin (for instance, being disobedient, telling 
lies). He must determine to do that, otherwise his 
Confession is invalid in the eyes of God. But it is 
still better, if he resolves: I am going to avoid all sins; 
at least, I will not commit a single sin deliberately and 
willfully. Then the dear Lord will be pleased with 
that child and bless it. 

3. The boy wanted to avoid his sins. Is that 
enough?—No, he must also avoid the near occasion of 
sin; he may no longer go with those wicked compan¬ 
ions. Why? Otherwise they will most surely lead 
him to commit serious sins. His father has already 
told him that. The good God says so too: “He that 
loveth danger, shall perish in it” (Ecclesiasticus iii, 
27). What does that mean?—Whoever carelessly goes 
into danger of sin, will fall into sin and lose the life of 
grace and, perhaps in the end, also eternal life. That 
is certainly very true. —The sinner must be determined 
to shun the danger, and especially the proximate dan¬ 
ger, of sin. (Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 
Whoever is unwilling to avoid the near occasion of 
sin, is unwilling to avoid sin; he has not a sincere 
resolution of amendment and puts his poor soul at 
stake. 

4. But the boy says to himself: I like my good com¬ 
panions so much, that I cannot give them up! There¬ 
fore he is unwilling to avoid the danger of sin. Then 
too in regard to a certain mortal sin, he thinks to him- 


218 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

self: “Oh! I will commit that very soon again any¬ 
way !” Therefore he does not want to avoid that sin. 
And he goes to Confession that way and the priest 
gives him absolution. Do you think, that he is really 
absolved from his sins?—No, God looks into his heart 
and has not absolved him from his sins. The absolu¬ 
tion of the priest is useless. The boy will carry all 
his sins out again from the confessional, and in addi¬ 
tion another mortal sin. For to confess unworthily, 
is a mortal sin (a sacrilege). Therefore after Confes¬ 
sion he has even greater guilt than before. Whoever 
does not want to avoid the danger of sin, or the near 
occasion of sin, ought to remember: the priest's abso¬ 
lution is of no avail , but only aggravates his guilt . 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard.) Such a sinner 
prefers sin to God and God cannot forgive such a one. 

Write on the blackboard: 

1. Near occasion—dangers of sin (persons, places, 

things, that lead to sin). 

2. Resolution—to avoid the danger to sin—to avoid 

mortal sin. 

3. Without good resolution — no pardon— (sacri¬ 

lege). 

Synthesis. Do you now see, how important the firm 
purpose of amendment is? Confession without the 
resolution of amendment is useless in God's sight. 
Such a person only wants to deceive God; but really 
he only deceives himself. Better not to confess at all 
than to confess without the resolution of amendment! 
—What must he be resolved to do, who makes a good, 
earnest resolution of amendment ?—What do you mean 
by the near (proximate) occasions of sin? — What 
ought they to remember, who are unwilling to avoid 
sin, or the danger to sin l—(Have the pupils read the 
answers from the Catechism and the blackboard. 
Assign the lesson for the next class.) 


PROXIMATE OCCASIONS OF SIN 219 

Application. 1. Now just examine your conscience. 
Did you ever go with bad companions like the boy of 
our story? They perhaps taught you how to sin—to 
steal, to lie, or even to do impure things. Or did you 
perhaps see a shameless picture in a store window 
and remain standing and look into that window with 
bad pleasure?—May you do that? Is that right in 
God's sight? What must such a child resolve to do?— 
The dear Lord tells you: “Flee from sins as from the 
face of a serpent" (Ecclesiasticus xxi, 2). Who acted 
like that?—Putiphar’s wife wanted to rob Joseph of 
his innocence. But he noticed it at once and thought 
to himself: Thou false, poisonous serpent, thou de- 
sirest to seduce me!—and he ran away. That was 
right; that is what God wills. 

2. Whoever does not flee from the danger to sin, 
will fall into sin. You know that from the Bible His¬ 
tory.—David was a pious man. But he loved the dan¬ 
ger to sin and fell deeply. Solomon was the wisest of 
all kings. But he kept company with pagan women 
and fell into detestable idolatry. Whoever does not 
avoid the occasion to sin, is like a person, who sweeps 
away the cobweb, but does not kill the spider. What 
will happen?—Just listen to what the dear Saviour 
once said: “If thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out. 
It is better for thee with one eye to enter into the 
kingdom of heaven, than having two eyes to be cast 
into the Hell of fire" (Mark ix, 46). But may a per¬ 
son pluck out his eye? The Saviour means something 
entirely different. Just tell me: Would you give your 
eye for a hundred thousand dollars?—See, your eye is 
dearer to you than all money. Thus also does Jesus 
mean. Even though a companion, a book, a play be 
as precious and dear to you as your eye, if it is for 
you a danger to sin, away with it !—otherwise it will 
cost you eternal life. 

Now reflect a little, as to whether you are still in the 
danger to sin! Have you perhaps also such a bad com¬ 
panion, who always seduces you to curse, to steal, to 


220 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


tell lies, to do impure things? What are you willing to 
do? Resolve earnestly: From this day forward I will 
not go with that companion anymore ! Let us now re¬ 
new our good resolution: “That I am resolved to do— 
I must get to Heaven, cost what it may, for nothing is 
too much for Heaven!” 


LESSON XXIX. 

Means of Amendment—Satisfaction. 

(Supplementary) 


Catechetical Unit: 

What must he be determined to do, who forms a 
firm and sincere resolution of amendment? (second 
half: Deharbe) 

Preparation. Dear children, once a boy went to a 
circus. Among the wild beasts there was a great, 
strong lion shut up in a cage, with iron bars in front 
of it. Somebody told the boy not to go too near the 
lion's cage, but to keep away lest the lion get hold of 
him. The boy took no notice of what was said to him. 
He went close to the cage. When the lion saw the boy 
standing close to the cage, he put his great, large paw 
through the bars. He took hold of the boy's arm, and 
tore it away from his body. The boy screamed out 
frightfully. But it was too late, his arm was gone.— 
Why did the boy lose his arm? Because he did not 
keep away from the lion. Why do people commit sin 
and lose their soul? Because they do not keep away 
from the near occasions, and danger, to sin. We 
learned of that in the last class. Let us review it. 
(Question the pupils briefly on the preceding lesson). 
—But we are not yet entirely finished with the good 
resolution of amendment. To avoid sin and the danger 
to sin is not yet enough. 


221 


MEANS OF AMENDMENT 

Aim. The 'penitent must also be prepared to satisfy , 
as far as possible, for his sin. We shall learn of that 
today.—Just listen! I am going to tell you about a 
great sacrifice a certain sinner made in order to obtain 
absolution from God and the priest. 

Presentation. Several years ago a great sinner went 
to Confession. He was a very wealthy man, a million¬ 
aire. But he did not get his wealth in an honorable 
manner. He had amassed nearly all his riches by 
stealing and fraud. No one knew anything about it. 
However, the sinner no longer had a single hour of 
peace. That sinful money burned into his soul like a 
glowing red-hot iron. Finally he determined to con¬ 
fess all. Therefore he went to his confessor and said 
openly: “I have much unjust money. Now it no longer 
allows me any peace of soul. But I want peace of soul 
again at any price.” Then the priest said: “My 
friend! go home and count all carefully, just how 
much unjust money you have; then come to me again! 
for every unjust penny must be returned, otherwise 
there is no pardon either in this life or in the other 
life.” 

With a heavy heart the sinner went home and began 
to reckon. He needed several days for the work. Fin¬ 
ally it was done. Immediately the next morning he 
came to the priest again and confessed all sincerely. 
He was in holy earnestness. For he actually gave to 
the confessor the whole sum of unjust money. It was 
an immense sum—more than a million dollars. And 
then he said: “Father ! take this money; it is all the 
property of another. Give it back to the rightful 
owners.” The priest took the money and did as he 
had been asked. The rich man became almost a beg¬ 
gar. But instead he obtained holy absolution—and 
that is worth more than all the treasure of earth. 

Explanation. 

(N. B. The following first two points are merely a repetition 
and may be omitted, if the catechist is pressed for time.) 


222 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

1. This man was rich and yet so poor. Why?—Be¬ 
cause he had many sins on his conscience. But one 
sin weighed upon his heart like a heavy stone—the 
theft. He could not bear it any longer. Therefore he 
went to Confession. It was a hard step to take, but it 
was his good fortune that he did it. Now tell me: 
What did he have to resolve to do?—Never again will 
I take a penny, rather go begging than steal again! 
Never another mortal sin at any cost! He was in per¬ 
fect earnestness about that too; for shortly afterwards 
he proved it. He restored the ill-gotten goods.— The 
sinner must be determined to avoid , at least , all mortal 
sins. (Repeat together; use the blackboard; see the 
diagram below just above the synthesis.) 

2. An old proverb says: 'The occasion makes the 
thief!” The man of our story had been an official and 
had charge of the public treasury. If he had remained 
in his position, how easily he could have fallen back 
into his old sins! What, therefore, did he resolve to 
do?—I will avoid the occasion of sin, and give up my 
position.— The sinner must be determined to shun the 
danger , and especially the near occasion , of sin. (Re¬ 
peat together; use the blackboard.) 

3. Just consider: Why did that man become a thief? 
—His heart was possessed by the devil of money; he 
wanted to have more and more and to become richer 
and richer. The money was dearer to him than the 
Lord and dearer to him than Heaven and his own poor 
soul. This poisonous root must come out of the heart. 
But how?—What must a sick person do, if he wishes 
to get well?—He must make use of the remedies, that 
the doctor prescribes. The doctor of the soul also pre¬ 
scribes remedies to the sinner, so that he may get bet¬ 
ter. If the sinner is unwilling to make use of these 
means, that is a sign that he has not a firm and serious 
purpose of amendment.—What remedies will the con¬ 
fessor have to give to his penitent?—In time of temp¬ 
tation think of God, Who sees and knows all! Think 
of death! You cannot take a single penny with you. 


MEANS OF AMENDMENT 


223 


Begin again to pray fervently, then you will not fall 
back again into sin! Thus the confessor must have 
spoken to the man of our story. And what did the 
penitent promise?—Yes, I will gladly do all that!— 
The sinner must be determined to make good use of all 
the necessary means of amendment. (Repeat togeth¬ 
er; use the blackboard.) 

4. Now if the sinner had died after Confession, 
would he have gone straight to Heaven?—Oh, no; I 
believe that he would have had to suffer a long time in 
Purgatory. For Confession alone is not enough; the 
sinner must also do more, that in God's sight it may be 
enough. He must punish himself for his sins. Then 
God is satisfied. In other words: The sinner 
must make due satisfaction for his sins. Therefore the 
confessor also prescribed a penance for the sinner. 
What penance?—I do not know. But for serious sins 
a serious penance is necessary. What then did the 
sinner have to resolve to do?—I will gladly accept and 
perform the penance, or satisfaction.—You see then: 
the sinner must be determined to make due satisfac¬ 
tion for his sins. (Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board.) 

5. That is not yet all; now the important thing 
comes. What command did the confessor give to the 
penitent?—Yes, as long as an unjust penny is in the 
hands of the sinner, there is no complete pardon. 
But the man was prepared immediately to give back 
(restore) all the money, and thus to satisfy for the 
injury, or damage, done. Of course, that was hard 
for him, but he owed that.— The sinner must be deter¬ 
mined to repair whatever injury he may have done to 
his neighbor. (Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 
It is better to live and die poor, than to live as a 
wealthy man and some day to die in bitterness as a 
beggar, and to become poor in the other life. You 
remember from your Bible History what Zachaeus 
said: “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to 


224 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


the poor; and if I have wronged anyone, I restore to 
him fourfold” (Luke xix, 8). 

Write on the blackboard : 

The sinner must: 

1. avoid mortal sin and the near occasions of sin; 

2. make use of the means of amendment; 

3. make due satisfaction for his sins; 

4. repair the injury done his neighbor. 

Synthesis. Now we have gathered together all that 
is required for a firm resolution of amendment. Let 
us repeat once more: What did this man in mortal sin 
resolve to do?—What must he be determined to do, 
who has a firm resolve of sinning no more?—( Have 
the pupils repeat the ansivers together from the Cate¬ 
chism and the blackboard . Assign the lesson for the 
next class.) 

Application. 1. A peaceful conscience is worth more 
than all the money of the world; thus did the sinner 
of our story think to himself. Therefore he was de¬ 
termined to make satisfaction for all the injury he 
had done. Every penitent must be prepared to do the 
same thing. St. Augustine says: “Sin will not be 
pardoned, unless the ill-gotten goods be restored.” Just 
reflect: Have you nothing to satisfy for?— 

2. A boy has stolen several dollars from his neigh¬ 
bor. But the money will not allow him any peace of 
mind; it presses upon his conscience. Now he wants 
to confess. What must he first resolve to do?—Re¬ 
store all immediately! For that money is sinful 
money. But what if he is unable to do it at once?— 
Then meanwhile the good will to restore it as soon as 
possible is enough.—Another out of malice has broken 
a window. What must he do?—Pay today, or beg the 
neighbor to forgive the injury! If the damage is only 
slight, the Confession as it is is also valid, but the sin 
is not forgiven.—A pupil has allowed a companion to 


MEANS OF AMENDMENT 225 

seduce him to steal. What must those two resolve to 
dp? Both of them must satisfy for the injury they 
did, and the boy, who has been led astray may not 
keep company any longer with his tempter.—A child 
has taught another to do shameful things. What sort 
of a resolution must such a child make?—I am going 
to tell him: Do not do such things any more! Then I 
am going to pray for that child too.—Another child 
told lies about one of its schoolmates; and he was 
punished for it unjustly.—He must resolve: I am go¬ 
ing to recall the detestable slander.—A penitent often 
missed Holy Mass. He confesses his sin very sincere¬ 
ly. He resolves: Now I am going to church every 
Sunday, as long as school lasts; but I will not go dur¬ 
ing the vacation. What do you say to that?—The 
penitent has not any sorrow and a firm resolution of 
amendment; he ought to remain away from Confes¬ 
sion, then at least he will have one sin less on his 
conscience. 

You surely do not want to do like that. No, you 
all want to do the right thing, as God wills. There¬ 
fore let us now excite ourselves to an act of contrition 
and a firm resolution of amendment: 

“0 my God! I am heartily sorry for having offended 
Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss 
of Heaven and the pains of Hell; but most of all be¬ 
cause they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and 
deserving of my love. I firmly resolve with the help of 
Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, to avoid 
the near occasions of sin, and to amend my life. 
Amen.” 


226 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


LESSON XXX. 
Confess All! 


Catechetical Unit: 

1) What is Confession? L. XIX, Q. 208. 

2) What sins are we bound to confess? L. XIX, 
Q. 209. 

3) When is our Confession entire? L. XIX, Q. 213. 

4) What should we do, if we cannot remember the 
number of our sins? L. XIX, Q. 214. 

5) Is our Confession worthy, if without our fault 
we forget to confess a mortal sin? L. XIX, Q. 215. 

Preparation. Dear children, on a certain occasion 
while Saul was still a persecutor of the Christians, he 
was riding on the road to Damascus, in order to im¬ 
prison the Christians. Suddenly a heavenly light 
blinded him and Jesus appeared. As though struck 
by lightning Saul fell from his horse. In fear and 
terror he cried out: “Lord, what wilt Thou have me 
do?” Jesus replied: “Arise, and go into the city. 
There all will be told thee, what thou art to do.” In 
Holy Confession too we are told everything that we 
must do, in order to lead a better life. We must re¬ 
solve to make use of these means of amendment. Let 
us review this teaching. (Question the pupils on the 
preceding lesson .)—Think again of the prodigal son! 
He acknowledged with sorrowful heart all his wicked¬ 
ness to his father. How did he say that?—Do you 
see? To confess means to acknowledge with contri¬ 
tion the sins we have committed. The penitent—as 
you already know—must acknowledge his sins with 
true contrition to the confessor (the priest) ; then the 
priest, the confessor, forgives the sins in the name of 
God. But ordinarily only a priest who has been ap¬ 
pointed by the Bishop, or as we also say, “who has 
been duly authorized by the Bishop,” may validly hear 
our Confession and absolve us. But in danger of death 


CONFESS ALL 227 

any priest may validly absolve us. Our Catechism 
says: Confession is the telling of our sins to a duly 
authorized priest, for the purpose of obtaining forgive¬ 
ness. ( Repeat together; use the blackboard; see the 
diagram below just above the synthesis.) 

Aim. You have already learned how to confess and 
have practised it. But I must tell you now more in 
detail: What sins you must confess and what sins you 
ought to confess. —Many a poor sinner allows himself 
to be seduced by the devil and confesses badly and re¬ 
mains in his sins. A remarkable story, which contains 
a good lesson, is told by St. Bernard. 

Presentation. Once there were many people in 
church—men and women and children. Devoutly they 
were standing near the confessional, in order to pre¬ 
pare their hearts; for they wanted to confess. There 
was a Saint, too, in the house of God. Now suddenly 
he saw the devil passing busily to and fro from peni¬ 
tent to penitent. A boy was about to begin his Con¬ 
fession. Quickly the devil hastened up to him and whis¬ 
pered something into his ear. To the other side of the 
confessional there stood a big, old sinner. He had 
confessed often, but never had he earnestly tried to 
amend his life. The devil was soon finished with him. 
Next to this sinful man was a young man. Already he 
was a little impatient, because he had to wait so long. 
The tempter noticed that, and immediately he began to 
speak earnestly with that young person, as though he 
wanted to persuade him to do something. In the be¬ 
ginning the young man did not want to listen to it; 
but finally he gave in. Filled with malicious joy the 
devil went away and murmured to himself: “He is 
mine!” There was an old woman, too, sitting there in 
the pew. She did not have very much on her heart, 
only a few venial sins. But she wanted to receive 
Holy Communion, Oh! so very much. For then she is 
so very happy, when she has the dear Saviour again 
in her heart. There too the devil tried his luck. But 


228 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


all his arts were in vain and he left her crestfallen and 
went on to others. 

All astonished the Saint had been watching that for 
a while. At last he took courage and asked earnestly 
and firmly: “What is your business here in the 
church?” The devil was somewhat frightened; but 
then he replied: “I am giving back what I have stolen.” 
“Is that so ? What have you stolen ?” The devil did 
not want to come out with the answer. But finally he 
admitted it. “I am giving back shame. I have taken 
shame away from the sinner, but after the sin, I give 
it back again.” Now the Saint knew enough.—Do you 
also know what he meant to say ? 

Explanation. Yes, thus does the devil act. Before 
the sin is committed, he takes shame away from the 
sinner, so that he may not be ashamed to commit the 
sin. But after the sin he gives the sinner his shame 
back again, so that he may be ashamed to confess his 
sin. Oh, false shame! Now let us look at these four 
penitents. 

1. The first penitent was a boy. Hitherto he had 
been very good. But a wicked companion had seduced 
him to commit a detestable sin. Of course, the boy 
felt sorry for his sin at once, and immediately he 
thought: I must confess that. For a long while al¬ 
ready he had been fearing to confess it. Now the 
tempter came and did not allow him any more peace; 
he even followed him into the confessional. What do 
you suppose he said to that penitent?—What! you 
want to confess that. How ashamed you must feel! 
What will the priest think of you! Just tell the other 
sins; that is enough. Do you see? Now the devil gave 
back that shame again to the boy. — However, the 
Guardian Angel did not desert this child. He warned 
him, saying: “Just tell the sin! Then all will be made 
right again. God will forgive you.” And—thanks be 
to God!—the boy told it openly and sincerely. To sin 
is a disgrace, but to confess is not a disgrace. Yes, 


CONFESS ALL 


229 


that is the right thing to do.—Our Catechism says: 
We are bound to confess all our mortal sins. ( Repeat 
together; use the blackboard.) That is necessary, if 
our Confession is to be complete, or entire. Whoever 
repents of all his sins, except one mortal sin, is and 
remains in mortal sin. Whoever resolves to avoid all 
except only one mortal sin, is and remains in mortal 
sin. Whoever confesses all but one mortal sin, is and 
remains in mortal sin. 

2. With the first penitent, therefore, the devil did 
not have any luck. With regard to the second he fared 
better. This man was a scape-goat. This time he 
again had a great many sins to confess, many mortal 
sins. What do you suppose the devil whispered into 
his heart?—Oh, you do not have to be so strict and so 
exact; a few mortal sins more or less do not matter 
much. If you tell all, you will not get absolution! 
Now what does the sinner do? This is how he con¬ 
fesses : “I missed the services a few times on Sunday.” 
The confessor thinks, of course, that he means only 
twice or three times. But that is not true; it hap¬ 
pened ten times since his last Confession. How ought 
he to have confessed?—Then again the sinner had 
harmed the good name of his neighbor by telling lies 
against him. Now he confesses: “I used bad talk.” 
Is that right?—No, because he did not tell the kind of 
sin, he committed; for to talk bad might mean to speak 
impure language, or to be uncharitable. The sinner 
did not make that clear to the confessor. Our Cate¬ 
chism says: Our Confession is entire, when we tell the 
number and the kinds of our sins. (Repeat together; 
use the blackboard.) 

Therefore we must tell the number and the kinds of 
sins we have committed; otherwise our Confession is 
invalid. 

3. Now listen further to how he confesses! “I was 
drunk several times.” That again is not true; for he 
was drunk nearly every Sunday. “A few times, too, 
I used filthy talk.” That is a real lie; for it happened 


230 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


nearly every day. What do you say of such a Confes¬ 
sion?—That sinner takes with him from the confes¬ 
sional all his sins and besides he also commits another 
mortal sin. How was he bound to have made his Con¬ 
fession ?—But suppose, that he no longer knew 
exactly, how often he committed those sins?—Our 
Catechism tells us: If we cannot remember the number 
of our sins, we should tell the number as nearly as pos¬ 
sible, and say how often we may have sinned in a day, 
a week, or a month, and how long the habit or practise 
has lasted. ( Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 
That is nothing new to you, for you have already heard 
of that in the lesson on the examination of conscience. 

4. Who was the third penitent of our story ?—What 
did that young man have on his conscience? He was 
a rough fellow. Once his mother had given him some 
good advice. But at once he became very angry and 
said to his mother, in a very saucy manner: “I know 
myself what I must do !” Yes, he was so impudent 
and scolded in the most shameful manner and even 
cursed her. Now he goes to Confession and says: "I 
insulted somebody.” The Confessor, of course, thinks 
that he refers to a companion of his. That would not 
have been such a serious fault. But to insult one’s 
mother and even to curse her, that is an entirely dif¬ 
ferent kind of a sin and is a mortal sin. That is an 
important circumstance, which attaches to the sin and 
changes the character of the sin. That makes the 
nature of the sin much worse. The sinner ought to 
have told the confessor that expressly.—Our Confes¬ 
sion is entire, when we tell the circumstances, which 
change the nature of the sin. ( Repeat together; use 
the blackboard inserting the words under No. 2.) 

The sinner has one more sin on his conscience: he 
has stolen a hundred dollars from his employer. But in 
Confession he only says: “I stole once.” If it had been 
only a few pennies, it would have been only a little 
sin; but to steal a hundred dollars is a mortal sin. 
That again is an important circumstance, which makes 


CONFESS ALL 231 

the sin worse. Therefore he ought to have mentioned 
that in Confession. Indeed I am ready to believe, that 
the devil was filled with joy over this bad Confession. 
The young man confessed invalidly, because he did not 
tell the necessary circumstances of his sins. 

5. What did the devil accomplish with the old woman 
of our story ?—There all his efforts were in vain. She 
had only little faults and she wanted to confess them 
all. To confess everything is indeed the best thing to 
do; but there is no strict “must” about it. Confession 
would be valid without that. Remember then: We are 
not, indeed, bound to confess venial sins; but it is well 
also to confess our venial sins. ( Repeat together; use 
the blackboard.) 

How else can you get rid of venial sins?—But con¬ 
trition of holy love (perfect contrition) is not so easy 
after all; a pious Christian disposition is necessary for 
that. And then again frequently the penitent does not 
know, whether a sin is mortal or venial. Even the 
confessor cannot always distinguish exactly. Often¬ 
times only God knows it. Therefore the penitent 
ought to do what the old mother of our story did, and 
confess all his venial sins. That is the surest way. 

6. Now one more thing. Let us suppose that among 
the penitents that went to Confession on that occasion, 
there was a girl, that confessed all her sins, as far as 
she knew. But after her Confession she remembers: 
“Oh! I left out a mortal sin. I missed Holy Mass 
through my own fault on a holyday of obligation.” 
Now she is all excited and full of fear. But let me 
ask: “Child! why did you not confess that sin?” “Oh! 
I did not think of it until after Confession.” Is her 
Confession valid?—Do not be disturbed! You are 
without guilt. The good God has forgiven you all your 
sins. But, what should that child do?—She should 
tell that sin to the confessor the next time she con¬ 
fesses, and all will be right.—If without our fault we 
forget to confess a mortal sin, our Confession is 
worthy, and the sin is forgiven; but it must be told in 


232 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Confession if it again comes to our mind. ( Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard ). 

Write on the blackboard: 

1. Confession—telling our sins to a duly author¬ 
ized priest—to obtain pardon. 

2. Confess: a) All mortal sins; 

b) the necessary circumstances, 
which change the nature of the 
sin. 

3. Such a Confession is entire (number—circum¬ 
stances) . 

4. We are not bound to confess venial sins—but 
it is well to confess them. 

5. Sins not confessed without our fault—forgiven 
—tell them in next Confession! 

Synthesis. Now you know all that is required to 
make our Confession entire. Let us repeat: What is 
Confession?—What do you mean by a duly authorized 
priest?—What sins are we bound to confess?—What 
circumstances must we tell in Confession?—Must we 
tell venial sins too?—What should we do, if we forget 
a mortal sin in Confession? — Is such a Confession 
worthy?—( Have the pupils read the answers from the 
Catechism. Assign the lesson for the next class). 

Application. 1. A few more examples! A woman 
confessed: “I sinned in thought, word and deed. I 
am sorry for these sins. Now I have finished”. How 
do you like this Confession ?—That is no Confession at 
all. A sinner has accused himself thus: “I sinned 
against the first Commandment, against the second 
Commandment”.—The confessor does not know any¬ 
thing as yet. In every Commandment there are many 
sins, big and small.—A pupil says: “I missed Holy 
Mass five or ten times”.—That child ought to reflect 
more and confess better.—A penitent has forgotten a 
mortal sin; later on he thinks of that sin. Then he gets 


CONFESS HUMBLY—SINCERELY 233 

afraid.—Another omits several venial sins. At once 
he fears, that the whole Confession is invalid. Is 
that true ?—A bad boy did impure things before other 
children. How must he confess that sin?—A child 
wants to do the right thing and tells the number of all 
his venial sins. Is that necessary ?—When confessing 
the more important venial sins, the penitent might say: 
“sometimes, often, nearly every day”; that is enough. 
—A child says in regard to the fourth Commandment: 
“I did not mind my mother three hundred times”. 
That is awkward. How could it confess better?— 

2. We saw four penitents today. Which of those 
do you want to imitate?—Be conscientious like the 
little boy and the old mother! Confess all your sins, 
great and small! And if the devil whispers anything 
wrong into your ears, answer him boldly: “Away, 
tempter! I will not allow myself to be deceived and 
lied to!” 


LESSON XXXI. 

Confess Humbly and Sincerely 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) When is our Confession humble? L. XIX, Q. 

211 . 

2) When is our Confession sincere? L.XIX, Q. 

212 . 

3) Is it not a grievous offense wilfully to conceal a 
mortal sin in Confession? L. XIX, Q. 216. 

4) What must he do who has wilfully concealed a 
mortal sin in Confession ? L. XIX, Q. 217. 

5) What should the penitent consider, if he is 
ashamed to make a sincere Confession? (Deharbe). 

6) Which are the chief qualities of a good Confes¬ 
sion? L. XIX, Q. 210. 


234 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Preparation. Dear children, let us first review the 
teaching of our last lesson. ( Question the pupils 
briefly on the foregoing lesson.) —To confess all mortal 
sins and the circumstances, which change the nature 
of the sin, is a matter of conscience. You ought also 
to make it a matter of conscience to tell all your venial 
sins. However, there are many sinners, who do not 
tell all; they are not sincere and are lost forever. 

Aim. Today I must give you a serious instruction 
in regard to that matter. Be humble and sincere in 
your Confessions! 

Presentation. St. Antoninus tells us a touching 
story. A daughter of a good, Christian family lived 
for a long time piously and modestly. But the truth 
remains: “Whoever loves the danger, will perish in 
the danger.” She did not avoid the dangerous occa¬ 
sion of sin and lost her innocence. Thereby she was 
deprived of her life’s happiness. 

At once her conscience began to disturb her and 
she went to Confession. However, she did not dare 
to tell her sin, but rather concealed it out of false 
shame. Henceforth she did not have a single hour 
of peace any more. She confessed again and again 
and each time the devil whispered into her heart: 
“Do not tell it! You would have to be ashamed to 
death”. And unfortunately she listened to the voice 
of the tempter. That poor soul could not endure it 
any longer; she wanted to be freed from the sin at 
any cost. Consequently she made this resolution: I 
am going to leave the world and enter a convent. 

So it hapened—she became a nun. She made a 
Confession of her whole life, told even that detestable 
sin, but in such a timid and confused manner, that the 
confessor could not understand the sin. Henceforth 
she led outwardly a model life, but interiorly she did 
not find any peace. Soon afterwards the poor woman 
fell into a deadly sickness and received the Last Sacra¬ 
ments. Again she took courage: “At the moment 


CONFESS HUMBLY—SINCERELY 235 

of death I am going to tell all to the confessor!” But 
when the time was at hand, she concealed for the 
last time that same sin. The death agony began, soon 
she lost consciousness and died in her sins. No one 
had any inkling of it. Her sisters in religion prayed 
for the repose of her soul. But see, God allowed the 
unhappy woman to appear to the sisters at prayer. 
She was horrible to look at and cried out in despair: 
“Cease praying for me! I am damned, because in my 
youth I concealed a sin in Confession”. She had 
postponed her penance, and postponed it; she had con¬ 
cealed her sin—and the sinner was lost. 

Explanation. 1 . To be unhappy for time and for 
eternity, how sad! Who is to blame for that?—In the 
first place the poor sinner was proud. Scarcely had 
she committed the sin, when she went to Confession. 
That was perfectly right. But to conceal the sin, 
that was all wrong. She was not too proud to commit 
the sin, why should she be too proud now to confess 
it? What ought the penitent to have thought to her¬ 
self, when kneeling before the priest?—What an awful 
sin I have committed against God! Surely I deserve 
Hell-fire. How then can I feel proud? She ought to 
have thought of the prodigal son, who knelt before his 
father and said in all humility: “Father, I have 
sinned against Heaven and before thee”! Then she 
could have told her sins as God demands—with true 
humility of heart. Our Catechism says: Our Confes¬ 
sion is humble, when we accuse ourselves of our sins 
with a deep sense of shame and sorrow for having 
offended God. ( Repeat together; use the blackboard; 
see the diagram below just above the synthesis ). St. 
Peter tells us: “God resisteth the proud, but to the 
humble He giveth grace” (I Pet. v, 5). 

2 a) What else ought that poor sinner to have 
thought to herself ?—I am kneeling not before a man, 
but before God Himself, not before the confessor, but 
before my Father in Heaven. God knows all; He 


236 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

knows my guilt. God's eyes pierce my heart; His eyes 
are brighter than the sun's rays. I cannot hide or 
conceal anything from God. Therefore I will tell all 
just as I know I am guilty before God. Yes, then her 
Confession would have been what God demands—a 
sincere Confession. Our Confession is sincere, when 
we tell our sins honestly and truthfully. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard ). The Holy Ghost Himself 
says in the Scriptures: “The deceitful man the Lord 
will abhor" (Ps. v, 7) ; and again: “Come not to the 
Lord with a double heart" (Ecclesiasticus i, 36). 

b) However, the sinner allowed her heart to be 
blinded by the devil, and she concealed her detestable 
sin. But to conceal a sin, that is not a sincere Confes¬ 
sion. And just as she did the first time, so she did 
each time she went to Confession. Only once did that 
unhappy woman want to tell her sin—when she made 
a general Confession of her whole life. But this Con¬ 
fession also was worthless in God's sight; why?—The 
penitent did not tell her sin openly and clearly, and the 
confessor did not understand what she meant to say. 
The sinner, of course, tried to excuse herself; she 
hung, as it were, a veil or a beautiful mantel over her 
sins, so that they would not seem so bad. But to 
make one's sins appear better than they are, is not to 
make a sincere Confession.—Some people go to the 
other extreme—they make their sins appear much 
worse than they really are—they exaggerate them. 
That too is untruthful, insincere.— Our Confession is 
sincere, when we tell our sins honestly and truthfully, 
neither exaggerating or excusing them. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard ). 

3. How foolish of that sinner to conceal that sin! 
God did not forgive any of her sins; on the contrary, 
she left the Confession each time with all her sins and 
with one more mortal sin, because she misused a holy 
thing—the Sacrament of Penance. She told a lie each 
time to the Holy Ghost and made her Confessions 
worthless. It is a grievous olfense wilfully to conceal 


CONFESS HUMBLY—SINCERELY 237 

a mortal sin in Confession, because we thereby tell a 
lie to the Holy Ghost, and make our Confession useless. 

(Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 

4. How could she be helped in her misery?—She 
must tell all her sins again in Confession and must say 
in addition: I have been making many bad Confes¬ 
sions! Then her confessor would have gladly helped 
her to make a good Confession. He would have told 
her to confess all her sins, since her last worthy Con¬ 
fession. All that she would have had to do, would 
have been to answer his questions truthfully and sin¬ 
cerely. In other words; she would have to recall all 
her mortal sins, the number and the kinds with the 
necessary circumstances, since her last good Confes¬ 
sion, that is, since she concealed that sin in Confes¬ 
sion. Such a Confession is called a General Confes¬ 
sion. Remember then: He who wilfully conceals a 
mortal sin in Confession must not only confess it, but 
must also repeat all the sins he has committed since his 
last worthy Confession. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard ). There is no other way to obtain God's 
pardon. 

5. But why do you suppose that sinner concealed 
her sin?—Perhaps for fear that her disgraceful guilt 
might become known?—No, nothing can be published 
outside of the confessional. Why? You know, that 
sometimes we seal a letter, so that it is impossible to 
open it and read what is in it. Thus too did the good 
God seal the lips of the confessor. The priest may not 
speak a single word about what he hears in Confes¬ 
sion, even though he were to receive a kingdom for it. 
This duty is called the seal of Confession. Yes, he must 
prefer to give up his life rather than reveal anything. 
And as a matter of fact, that has happened often. 
— (Once there was in Bohemia a cruel king. He 
would have liked very much to know what his queen 
had confessed. Therefore he called her confessor, 
St. John Nepomucene, and asked: “Now tell me, what 
do you know about the queen?" But John did not tell 


238 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

him a single word. The king began to threaten;— 
but all was useless. He ordered that the Saint be tor¬ 
tured on his naked body with burning torches—all in 
vain. The Saint only sighed: “0 Jesus, 0 Mary!” 
Then the king spoke the sentence of death. John was 
thrown into the Mildaw River, that flowed through the 
city. There St. John found his death—the heroic death 
of a martyr of the seal of Confession).—Do you see? 
Thus must every confessor remain silent, silent like a 
dead marble statue. The sins are buried in his heart 
and cannot ever come out again. Yes, if the penitent 
is ashamed to make a sincere Confession , he ought to 
consider that he is confessing his sins to a priest, who 
is bound to secrecy . (Repeat together; use the black¬ 

board) . If the sinner would remember that, he would 
not be insincere. 

6. Just reflect: What did the poor sinner of our 

story have from concealing her sin? She never felt 
happy at heart; she had no peaceful hour any more 
on earth. She left all and entered a convent. Did 
she find peace there? No, continually the worm of a 
bad conscience gnawed at her heart. When she arose 
in the morning a voice called out to her: Sinner! you 
have confessed invalidly. When all tired out she lay 
down in the evening, she again heard the voice: Sin¬ 
ner ! God will judge you and punish you. When others 
were happy, she was sad. Nowhere did she find peace. 
Surely that was a miserable, restless life! And why 
all that? Because she was not sincere in her Confes¬ 
sions. Which is better, to confess sincerely, or to live 
always uneasy in mind? (Repeat together; use the 

blackboard ). 

7. For every sinner there comes finally the hour of 
death. How was the death of the sinner of our story? 
—Only with trembling can one think of it. Once more 
she heard the voice of God’s grace: Tell it all! It is 
high time! But what happened? Again the devil 
closed her lips. As she lived, so she died in her sins. 
How terrible must not have been the last hours of the 


CONFESS HUMBLY—SINCERELY 239 

P??F sinner! Would one of you like to die like that? 
Which is better, to confess sincerely, or to die unhapvy 
forever? (Repeat together; use the blackboard)! 

8. Where is that poor soul now?—She told us her¬ 
self : “Cease praying for me! Iam damned”. Hor¬ 
rible ! She is buried and is burning in the sea of fire 
in Hell. But is her sin buried also ? No, that will 
still appear in the light—on the last day. Then that 
sin will become visible like an indelible mark of shame 
on the body and on the soul of the sinner. Thus must 
the unfortunate woman appear before the Judge, Jesus 
Christ, and before all the Angels and men. What a 
shame and disgrace! Then she will cry out for fear 
and despair: “If only I had confessed that sin! Ye 
mountains, fall upon me, ye hills, cover me!” But all 
in vain, it is too late.—Which is better, to confess sin¬ 
cerely, or to be put to shame on the last day before the 
whole world? (Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 
How foolish to conceal a mortal sin! 


Write on the blackboard : 


1. Confess humbly—with shame and sorrow for 

having offended God. 

2. Confess sincerely—honestly and truthfully— 

neither exaggerating nor excusing the sin. 

3. To wilfully conceal a mortal sin in Confession 

—mortal sin—lie to the Holy Ghost—makes 
Confession worthless. 


4. 

5. 


Insincere Confession—made good by repeat¬ 
ing sin and all sins since last worthy Con¬ 


fession. 

Confess sincerely!—a) 

b) 

c) 

d) 


Confessor bound to 
secrecy; 

makes life happy; 
makes dying easy; 
avoids shame on last 
day. 


240 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Synthesis. Do you some day want to become as 
unhappy as this sinner? No, a thousand times rather 
confess all sincerely and humbly. Therefore remem¬ 
ber well what I have taught you today. When is our 
Confession humble?—When is it sincere?—What 
ought the penitent to think, when he kneels before the 
confessor?—What ought the penitent to think, when 
he is ashamed to confess sincerely ?—What is the duty 
called, by which the confessor must keep silence about 
what he hears in Confession?—What are the chief 
qualities of a good Confession?—( Have the pupils read 
the arisivers from the Catechism and blackboard . 
Assign the lesson for the next class). 

Application. 1. Children, all of you undoubtedly 
want to confess humbly and sincerely. Therefore do 
not conceal anything! Why do you go to Confes¬ 
sion ? In order that the heavenly Father may be recon¬ 
ciled with you again, is not that so? But can the 
heavenly Father be reconciled with you and forgive 
you, if you are false and insincere? Do you know what 
such a penitent does? He lies to the Holy Ghost. For 
Jesus said: “Receive ye the Holy Ghost!” What a 
sin! Therefore do not conceal anything! It is better 
not to confess at all than to confess badly. Do not be 
ashamed! To commit sin is a disgrace; but to con¬ 
fess sin is not a disgrace. Only do not say: What 
will the confessor think of me? I can tell you that 
now.—Thanks be to God, that this penitent is con¬ 
fessing all humbly and sincerely! 

2. Do not conceal anything; but neither excuse 
yourselves! Just listen to what St. Augustine once 
said: “If you accuse yourselves, God will excuse you; 
if you excuse yourselves, God will accuse you!” Do 
you understand what he means?—If you confess sin¬ 
cerely, without exaggerating or excusing anything, 
God will say: You are free from all guilt! But if 
you try to excuse your guilt, God will say: You are 
still in your guilt! Which do you want? Be sensible 


THE RITE OF CONFESSION 241 

and tell everything openly and sincerely, otherwise 
your poor soul will not have any peace. Either con¬ 
fess now or burn some day! 


LESSON XXXII. 

The Rite of Confession 
Catechetical Unit: 

1) What should we do on entering the confessional ? 
L. XX, Q. 224. 

2) Which are the first things we should tell the 
priest in Confession ? L. XX, Q. 225. 

3) After telling the time of our last Confession 
and Communion, what should we do? L. XX, Q. 226. 

4) What must we do when the confessor asks us 
questions? L. XX, Q. 227. 

5) What should we do after telling our sins? L. 
XX, Q. 228. 

6) How should we end our Confession? L. XX, Q. 
229. 

7) What should we do while the priest is giving us 
absolution? L. XX, Q. 230. 

(N. B. Have the pupils make use of the leaflet entitled: “A 
Method of Confession ). 

Preparation. Dear children, God will not forgive us 
our sins, unless we confess all our mortal sins humbly 
and sincerely. We may not wilfully conceal any seri¬ 
ous sin. Let us review this teaching. (Question the 
pupils briefly on the preceding lesson .)—The prodigal 
son knelt down before his father and confessed: 
“Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before thee. 
I am not now worthy to be called thy son”. But the 
father embraced his son with joy and kissed him and 
forgave him all.—In very much the same way as the 
prodigal son the penitent must act. You all have made 


242 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


your Confession time and again. I wonder whether 
you are doing everything as you should?— 

Aim. I shall now tell you more exactly how you 
ought to confess. What must the penitent do? What 
does the confessor do? 

Presentation. The penitent kneels down before his 
heavenly Father and before the confessor. First the 
priest gives the blessing for Confession. While giving 
it he says: “May the Lord be in thy heart and on 
thy lips, that thou mayest rightly confess thy sins; in 
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
Holy Ghost. Amen”. During the recitation of this 
blessing, the penitent makes the sign of the Cross de¬ 
voutly over himself (blesses himself). Then he be¬ 
gins at once, saying: “Bless me, Father. I confess to 
Almighty God and to you, Father, that I have sinned. 
My last Confession was made.... ago; since then I 
have committed the following sins”. And now the 
Confession begins at once. The sinner tells all his 
sins humby and sincerely, just as he has already 
memorized them during the examination of conscience. 
After this has been done, the penitent ends the Con¬ 
fession with the words: “I also accuse myself of all 
the sins of my past life, especially of—(disobedience, 
for example). For these and all my other sins I am 
heartily sorry. Pray Father, give me a penance and 
absolution”. 

When the penitent has finished, the confessor begins. 
First he asks the penitent a few questions, if that is 
necessary. The penitent should answer sincerely. 
Then follows a short instruction. The penitent ought 
to pay strict attention to what is said. Finally the 
priest gives the sinner a penance to perform. But the 
penitent must not leave the confessional yet; for the 
principal thing is still to come—holy absolution. The 
words of absolution are: “May our Lord Jesus Christ 
absolve thee, and I by His authority absolve thee from 
every bond of excommunication and interdict, in as 


THE RITE OF CONFESSION 243 

far as I am able and thou needest. Then I absolve thee 
from thy sins in the name of the Father, and of the 
Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen”. During the last 
words the confessor makes the sign of the Cross over 
the penitent, and the penitent should bless himself. 
Another little prayer is added: “May the Passion of 
our Lord Jesus Christ, the merits of the Blessed Mary, 
ever Virgin, and of all the Saints,—may whatever good 
thou dost and whatever evil thou endurest, be for thee 
unto the remission of sins, the increase of grace and a 
reward unto eternal life. Amen”. Thereupon the 
confessor dismisses the penitent with the Catholic 
greeting: “God bless you!” The penitent should 
answer: “Praised be Jesus Christ. Thank you, 
Father!” Now the Confession is over.—Let us try to 
remember the chief points! 

Explanation. 1. What is the first thing the peni¬ 
tent does and says on entering the confessional?—On 
entering the confessional we should kneel, make the 
sign of the Cross, and say to the priest: “Bless me, 
Father”. ( Repeat together; use the blackboard; see 
the diagram below just above the synthesis) . A good 
Confession is a great blessing. To make a good Con¬ 
fession we need help from above. Therefore the priest 
first of all gives the blessing for Confession. What 
words does he say?—“May the Lord be in thy heart 
and on thy lips”! The meaning is: May God’s grace 
be in thy heart, so that thou mayest know all thy sins 
rightly; and may God’s blessing be in thy mouth, so 
that thou mayest confess sincerely. What should the 
penitent do during the blessing?—He should make the 
sign of the Cross quietly over himself; but let it be a 
devout sign of the Cross! He ought to think to him¬ 
self at the same time: The good God is watching me 
and my Holy Guardian Angel also. 

2. Now the penitent begins. What words does he 
say?—I confess to Almighty God and to you Father, 
that I have sinned. (Repeat together; use the black - 


244 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


board ). That makes one feel a little ashamed and hu¬ 
miliated indeed; but it is true none the less. For in 
God's sight we all are only poor sinners. And just 
because it is true, the penitent ought to say it openly 
and with all his heart.—Before whom does the sinner 
accuse himself?—The confessor is indeed only a man. 
But he has a high dignity; for he is taking the place 
of God. The penitent should not forget that, and 
therefore he ought to be modest.—Do you also know, 
why the penitent kneels down before the confessor? 
—Already by kneeling down he says to God and the 
confessor: I am a poor sinner! Of course, kneeling 
down is not absolutely necessary. Children, therefore, 
who are too small, ought to remain standing during 
the Confession. The good Lord knows, of course, 
whether the sinner is humble and contrite of heart; 
for He sees into the heart. 

3. What is the next thing the penitent tells the 
priest?—Our Catechism says: The first things we 
should tell the priest in Confession are the time of our 
last Confession, and whether we said the penance and 
went to Holy Communion. (Repeat together). Tell 
me: How would you say that?—Strictly speaking, it is 
not necessary to tell whether you have said the pen¬ 
ance and gone to Holy Communion. If you have 
omitted to say the penance through your own fault, 
you must, of course, accuse yourself of that. Other¬ 
wise, however, you may omit mentioning that. The 
same is true of Holy Communion. 

4. Now follows the Confession of your sins. You 
must tell all your mortal sins, which you have com¬ 
mitted since your last worthy Confession. You may 
also mention any venial sins you are especially sorry 
for. Our Catechism says: After telling the time of 
our last Confession and Communion, we should confess 
all the mortal sins we have since committed, and all the 
venial sins we may wish to mention. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard). Remember, that while 
confessing you should keep your hands folded like this 


245 


THE RITE OF CONFESSION 

{illustrate), but not before your mouth. The penitent 
may not speak to one side, but he ought to speak 
directly before himself to the priest through the screen, 
so that the confessor may be able to understand all. 
Therefore the penitent ought not to speak too slowly 
and not too fast, not carelessly and not timidly, not too 
loudly and not too quietly. If the penitent should 
happen to forget a sin, he should continue his Confes¬ 
sion quietly; he ought not to get excited. He may tell 
that sin at the end of the Confession; or if he forgets 
it entirely, he may tell that in the next Confession.— 
When the penitent has finished telling his sins, what 
should he do?—He should accuse himself again of all 
the sins of his past life in a general way, and then 
he may add one or several sins, for which he is 
especially sorry, but which he has already confessed. 
You know that if some one has insulted you, you may 
forgive that insult once, twice, three, or a hundred 
times, if you like. In like manner you may accuse 
yourself again and again of your past sins, which have 
already been forgiven, and you may beg God to for¬ 
give them again and again. We should end our Con¬ 
fession by saying: I also accuse myself of all the sins 
of my past life, telling if we choose one or several of our 
past sins. {Repeat together ). 

5. After the penitent has finished the confessor 
begins to speak. What should you do when the con¬ 
fessor asks a question ?—Reflect a moment, then answer 
him sincerely, just as though the dear Lord Himself 
were asking the question.—When the confessor asks us 
questions, we should answer them truthfully and sin¬ 
cerely. {Repeat together). Be sure and do not try 
to excuse yourself ! You cannot make the sin ap¬ 
pear better in God's sight; for He knows all. If per¬ 
haps the penitent has not understood the confessor 
properly, let him say to the confessor modestly: 
“Please, Father, I did not understand the question.” 

6. How ought you to conduct yourself during the 
instruction which the confessor may see fit to give ? 


246 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


—Listen attentively to every word and preserve it all 
in your heart. You might think to yourself what 
young Tobias said to his father: “Yes, father, I will 
do all that you have told me!” After telling our sins 
we should listen with attention to the advice which the 
confessor may think proper to give. (Repeat together; 
use the blackboard). Perhaps at the end the confes¬ 
sor will ask: “Have you anything else to confess ?” 
If you do not know any more to tell, answer: “No, 
Father, that is all that I remember”. But if you still 
have something to say, say it openly and clearly! Do 
not be ashamed! 

7. Finally the confessor gives you a penance. (Use 
the blackboard). Why the penitent receives a penance 
you will understand in the next class. Pay attention, 
so that you may understand the penance rightly and 
remember it. If you have understood the confessor 
rightly, answer him: “Yes, Father”, or “Thank you, 
Father”. If you did not understand the penance, ask 
the confessor again modestly to repeat what he has 
said. Should you, perhaps, be unable to perform the 
penance, say: “Please, Father, I cannot say that”. 
Be sure not to go out of the confessional without hav¬ 
ing received and understood the penance, for the pen¬ 
ance belongs to the Sacrament of Penance. 

8. May the penitent now stand up and leave the 
confessional ? No, he has still sins upon his soul; he 
still needs the holy absolution. (Use the blackboard ). 
What are the words of absolution?—“I absolve thee 
from thy sins in the name of the Father, and of the 
Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen”. At these words 
the penitent should bless himself. He might at the 
same time imagine: Now I am kneeling at the feet 
of Jesus Christ; He himself is absolving me from my 
sins. Renew the act of contrition with all your heart 
during the absolution of the confessor.—Do you know 
what is taking place in the solemn moment of holy ab¬ 
solution ?—The sinful soul is being washed pure in the 
Blood of Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost comes and 


247 


THE RITE OF CONFESSION 

decorates the heart of the penitent with the precious 
garment of grace. But the heavenly Father embraces 
the penitent, kisses him and says with joy to His 
Angels: “Behold! this is my beloved child, in whom 
I am well pleased.” While the priest is giving us the 
absolution, we should from our heart renew the Act 
of Contrition. (Repeat together) : 

How does the confessor dismiss the penitent?—Only 
then may the penitent leave the confessional. 

Write on the blackboard: 

1. Blessing of the confessor; 

2. Confession-prayer; 

3. Confession of sins; 

4. Instruction or advice of confessor; 

5. Penance; 

6. Holy absolution. 

Synthesis. Now we have everything together that 
belongs to Confession. The priest gives the blessing. 
What beautiful words does he say? What does the 
penitent do at the same time?—How does he begin his 
Confession?—How should the penitent conduct him¬ 
self during the instruction, which the confessor gives? 
—To what ought the penitent to pay attention especi¬ 
ally? —How does the penitent end his Confession? — 
What are the words of holy absolution?—What ought 
the penitent to do during the absolution?—What hap¬ 
pens during the absolution?— (Have the pupils read 
the answers from the Catechism and blackboard. As¬ 
sign the lesson for the next class.) 

Application. 1. The catechist will have the chil¬ 
dren repeat the order of the rite of Confession. Then 
he should have the children go through the ceremonial 
of Confession in a practical manner; to be sure with 
the necessary reserve, so that the dignity of the Sacra¬ 
ment may not be violated. He should also take the 
children to the church and show them how to approach 
and leave the confessional. 


248 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


2. A chief point in confessing is this: Be humble ! 
In Confession every one is a poor sinner, even though 
he be a mighty king. St. Louis was King of France. 
Once he went to Holy Confession. The priest said to 
him: “Your Majesty !” The Saint would not stand 
for that salutation, but said: “Now I am not king and 
you are not my subject. I am a penitent and you are 
the confessor !” Do you see ? He was humble. The 
dear Lord surely was pleased with that and spoke the 
consoling words over this King: “Thy sins are for¬ 
given thee ! Go in peace !” 


LESSON XXXIII. 

Satisfaction or Penance. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) What is the satisfaction in the Sacrament of 

Penance ? (Deharbe) 

2) Does the Sacrament of Penance remit all the 
punishment due to sin? L. XIX, Q, 219. 

3) What is the temporal punishment due to our 
sins? (IJeharbe) 

5) Why does the priest give us a penance after 
Confession? L. XIX, Q. 218. 

4) Why does God require a temporal punishment 
for sin? L. XIX, Q. 220. 

6) In what does the penance imposed by the con¬ 
fessor consist? (Deharbe) 

7) Is the Confession valid, if the penitent does not 
perform the penance enjoined? (Deharbe) 

Preparation. Dear children, eyqry ^Catholic child 
ought to know how to make its Confession properly. 
We learned that in our last class. Let us review it. 
{Question the pupils briefly, on the foregoing lesson.) 
—Think again of the prodigal son! He was ready to 
work for his father as a servant: “Make me as one 


SATISFACTION OR PENANCE 249 

of thy hired servants!” But why work as a servant? 
—He knew very well: I did my father a great injus¬ 
tice ; now I must also do penance for that.—That every 
sinner must do: do penance or satisfy after Confession. 
Therefore the penitent receives a penance from the 
confessor; it is also called satisfaction. Therefore 
satisfaction is a penance from the confessor.— Satis¬ 
faction in the Sacrament of Penance is the perform¬ 
ance of penance enjoined by the confessor. (Repeat 
together; use the blackboard; see the diagram below 
just above the synthesis). 

Aim. I must show you that a little better: Why 
the penitent receives a penance. God Himself wants 
the sinner to do penance. Just think of King David! 
But let us first tell the story. 

Presentation. David was a pious and God-fearing 
king. But even the just man can fall, if he is not on 
his guard. The king did not guard his eyes, and thus 
mortal sin entered into his heart through the eyes. 
David seduced the wife of Urias to be unfaithful and 
was also the cause, that Urias lost his life in battle. 
Then God sent the Prophet Nathan to David. He 
scolded the king very severely. In the name of God 
he said: “King, what hast thou done? God has seen 
thy sin. God's punishment will come upon thee!” 
When David heard these words, he took them very 
much to heart. He felt sorry for and wept over his 
sins bitterly and confessed: “I have sinned against the 
Lord.” Then he no longer ate nor drank anything and 
kept calling out continually to God for grace: “Have 
mercy on me, 0 God, according to Thy great mercy. 
I know my iniquity and my sin is always before me. 
Cast me not away from Thy face! A contrite and 
humbled heart, 0 God, Thou wilt not despise” (Ps. 50). 

And behold, God was merciful and pardoned the sin¬ 
ner his entire guilt. Again the Prophet Nathan came 
before the king and spoke in God's name: “The Lord 
also hath taken away thy sin: thou shalt not die; but 


250 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


thy child shall surely die.” And so it happened. God’s 
punishment soon came: David’s youngest child had to 
die. Mourning and weeping the king cried out: “The 
hand of the Lord lies heavily on me.”—But not yet 
enough of punishment. Another son also prepared 
untold sorrow for the father, the wicked Absolom. 
You yourselves know how he acted towards his father. 
For that reason he perished miserably. When the 
news of his death was brought to the king, his heart 
nearly broke with sorrow, and weeping he cried out: 
“0 Absolom, my son, would to God, that I had died 
for thee!” 

Explanation. 1. Whoever commits sin deserves 
punishment. Everyone knows that. If David had 
died in his sins, he would have been lost forever; for 
to mortal sin there attaches eternal death. However, 
the Prophet Nathan’s threats of punishment struck 
him like a bolt of lightning; then sorrow for sin 
burned his soul. Thereupon the king confessed as 
well as he was able to confess; but God absolved him 
through the Prophet: “The Lord hath forgiven thee 
thy sin; thou shalt not die.” But what did the Prophet 
add immediately?—“Thy son will surely die!” But 
tell me, how can God pardon sin and in the same 
moment punish?—If mortal sin is forgiven, the pun¬ 
ishment of death is also forgiven; but all the punish¬ 
ment is not yet forgiven. God forgave the king’s sin 
and together with it also the eternal punishment due 
to that sin; but he did not forgive him the temporal 
punishment. The same is true of the Sacrament of 
Penance.—The Sacrament of Penance remits the eter¬ 
nal punishment due to sin, but it does not always remit 
the temporal punishment. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard.) 

2. What God threatened, that also happened.—Yes, 
there was no end any more to the king’s sufferings. 
Life became for David like a real Purgatory. He 
would have preferred to die rather than to live. Do 


SATISFACTION OR PENANCE 251 

you see? That was a temporal punishment for sin. 
The king, however, bore it all patiently. That was 
well done. For the sinner must go to Purgatory 
either here on earth or over there in the other world. 
Better here than over there.— Temporal punishment 
due to our sins is that punishment , which we have to 
suffer either here on earth, or in Purgatory. (Repeat 
together, use the blackboard.) It is called temporal 
because it lasts for a time only. Purgatory will cease 
at some time: here upon earth most certainly at death, 
over there in the other world most certainly on the 
last day. 

3. a) Now you will also easily understand, why the 
penitent receives a penance.—By holy absolution the 
soul is made pure from sin, is freed from the eternal 
punishment, but not always from the temporal punish¬ 
ment due to sin. The sinner must himself do 
penance for that. Our Catechism says: God requires 
a temporal punishment as a satisfaction for sin. (Re¬ 
peat together; use the blackboard.) Temporal pun¬ 
ishment, which we perform in this life, takes the place 
of Purgatory. Which, do you think, is easier: to do 
penance or to burn in Purgatory?— 

b) King David had to do penance for his sins. But, 
I believe, that the dear Lord had another intention, 
when He punished the king so severely.—God thought 
to Himself: I will chastise him, then he will see how 
wicked sin is! Do you see? God wanted to teach the 
royal sinner the great wickedness of sin. Our Cate¬ 
chism says: God requires temporal punishment to 
teach us the great evil of sin. (Repeat together; use 
the blackboard.) 

c) Tell me: Do you suppose that David committed 
that sin again?—No indeed; he was disgusted with 
sin. So it is with regard to Confession. The penitent 
receives a penance as a punishment for his sins, but 
also to prevent him from sinning again and to better 
his life.— God requires a temporal punishment to pre¬ 
vent us from falling again. (Repeat together; use the 


252 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

blackbord.) Penance ought to be for the penitent a 
medicine. The doctor gives medicine to the sick per¬ 
son; why?—The sick person ought to get better. The 
sinner too is sick in his soul. Therefore the doctor of 
the soul, the confessor, gives him a medicine, a pen¬ 
ance, in order that he may improve and not fall back 
again into the old sickness of the soul, sin. 

4. The dear Lord is like a good father. If the child 
has done something bad, there is punishment. That 
is perfectly right. The punishment ought to hurt the 
child and make it satisfy for the wicked conduct it was 
guilty of. The same is true of Confession. The priest 
gives us a penance after Confession, that we may satis¬ 
fy God for the temporal punishment due to our sins. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard.) But the father 
does not simply want to hurt the child; he also wants 
to do good to the child; he wants to help the child so 
that it will not fall back into its wicked conduct again. 
So also we receive a penance after Confession, not 
only to satisfy for the temporal punishment due to our 
sins, but also to teach us how wicked it is to sin and to 
keep us from falling back into sin. 

5. The dear Lord has different kinds of penance. 
What penance did He give to the king?—Other sinners 
God permits to get sick or poor. The doctor, too, has 
various medicines. He gives to each patient the medi¬ 
cine, which he needs. Thus also the confessor acts. 
He gives to each penitent the penance, which he stands 
in need of most of all. Here is a person, that curses. 
The confessor can impose upon him this penance: As 
often as you speak a curse word, pray: “Hallowed be 
Thy name!” or: “Praised and blessed be the Most 
Holy Sacrament of the Altar!” To an angry person 
he might give the penance: If anger arises within you, 
think of ithe patient Saviour bearing His cross and 
pray: “Crucified Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on 
me!” What penance will the confessor impose upon 
an intemperate person? a drunkard?—Fasting is good 
for them. Upon a stingy person?—He ought to give 


SATISFACTION OR PENANCE 253 

alms.— The penance given by the confessor consists of 
good works : prayer, fasting, almsgiving or other exer¬ 
cises pleasing to God. (Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board.) But generally the confessor gives prayers as 
penance, especially to children. For everybody can 
pray and prayer is good for all things. 

Of course, now there are only small penances given, 
even for great sins. Formerly it was entirely different 
and much stricter. Just listen! For careless swearing 
a penitent had to fast for seven days on bread and 
water. A liar did not fare much better. Whoever 
insulted and cursed his parents, had to fast for forty 
days. For talking in the church there was a fast for 
ten days. If it were like that today, many children 
would never finish with their penance. Now it is 
much easier. The penitent ought, therefore, to per¬ 
form his penance well. 

6. King David gladly accepted his penance from 
God. He knew very well: that is only a little as com¬ 
pared with the eternal punishment. The penitent 
ought also to accept the penance gladly from the con¬ 
fessor and perform it well. But suppose the penitent 
neglects his penance, what then?—A child makes a 
good Confession. All goes well and the child is glad. 
It receives only a small penance. Then it thinks 
to itself: “That is little; I will gladly say it.” 
But in its carelessness later on it says only half of the 
penance and that badly. Is the Confession valid?— 
The Confession is and remains valid; but the child 
has committed a sin and loses many graces of Confes¬ 
sion.— If after the Confession the penitent does not 
perform the penance, which in Confession he was will¬ 
ing to perform, the Confession is not rendered invalid; 
but he commits a new sin, and deprives himself of 
many graces. (Repeat together; use the blackboards) 
Later on the child gets to be very bad. Therefore it 
must pray the Stations of the Cross. At once it 
thinks: “That is too much!” Thus it receives the 
absolution. Is that child really absolved by God?— 


254 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

No, the entire Confession is worthless; it is and re¬ 
mains invalid. 

Write on the blackboard: 

1. Penance—satisfaction. 

2. Absolution — mortal sin—eternal punishment— 

temporal punishment (?). 

3. Temporal punishment—on earth—in Purgatory. 

4. Penance—1. satisfies for temporal punishment 

(5) ; 2. teaches the evil of sin; 3. prevents 

falling back into sin. 

6. Penance—prayer, fasting, almsgiving. 

7. Omission of penance—1. When only a sin? 2. 

When an invalid Confession? 

Synthesis. To a good Confession there belongs also 
satisfaction or penance. What do you mean by satis¬ 
faction or penance?—Why is a penance imposed?— 
Does God remit with sin also all punishment?—Which 
punishment is called temporal?—Why does God re¬ 
quire temporal punishment?—Why does the confessor 
impose a penance after Confession?—Which are some 
of the works of satisfaction or penance?—Is Confes¬ 
sion without penance valid?— (Have the pupils read 
the answers from the Catechism and blackboard. As - 
sign the lesson for the next class.) 

Application. Punishment follows upon sin. If the 
sin is forgiven then all the punishment is not neces¬ 
sarily also forgiven. We saw that in the case of King 
David. Do you know another example ?—Moses in the 
desert; the people of Israel.—Penance takes the place 
of Purgatory. But I would like to know: Is the whole 
punishment of Purgatory remitted? That depends 
not only upon the penance, but also and that especially 
upon your contrition. If your contrition is a burning 
contrition like Purgatory, it takes the place of Purga¬ 
tory. 

Once there came a great sinner to a holy Bishop— 
Peter of Corbeil. All contrite of heart and in bitter 


VOLUNTARY SATISFACTION 255 

tears the sinner confessed his terrible sins. So great 
was his contrition, that he said: “My Father, I will 
suffer death a thousand times, if only God will be 
merciful to me!” The Bishop said to him: “I will give 
you only a penance of seven years.” The sinner 
answered: “How! I am to do penance for those great 
sins only for seven years!” The Bishop answered: 
“I will also shorten this time of your penance. Go, 
fast for three days on bread and water!” Then the 
sinner wept, so that his heart nearly broke for sorrow. 
But the Bishop said: “Now go and pray only one Our 
Father!” Without a word the sinner went and knelt 
down upon the ground and recited the penance. Sud¬ 
denly he became pale and sank to the earth and was a 
corpse. Deeply moved the Bishop said to the people: 
“I believe, that he is a Saint in Heaven!” 

There you see, that penance takes the place of Pur¬ 
gatory. Everything depends upon the contrition. 
Like this poor sinner you, too, ought gladly to accept 
the penance from the confessor, and perform it well. 
The better the penance, the better for you. You will 
see that best of all, when you die. 


LESSON XXXIV. 

Voluntary Satisfaction. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) Which are the chief means by which we satisfy 
God for the temporal punishment due to sin ? L. XIX, 
Q. 221. 

2) Should we perform the penance only which the 
confessor lays upon us? (Deharbe) 

Preparation. Dear children, the people of Israel 
murmured against God and His holy leader, Moses, in 
the desert. The Lord became very angry at that and 
determined to destroy them utterly. However, Moses 


256 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


interceded with God for them, and the Lord answered: 
“I have forgiven according to thy word. But yet all 
the men that have seen My Majesty and the signs 
which I have done in Egypt, and in the wilderness, 
shall not see the land, which I promised to their fath¬ 
ers” (Numbers xiv, 20s). God, therefore, forgives the 
sin; but He wants that His justice should still have 
the power of punishing with temporal punishments 
those, who have sinned. Out of six hundred thousand 
men, the old people and the women not being counted, 
only Josue and Caleb reached the Promised Land. 
Moses himself, on account of his lack of faith in the 
Lord, did not enter the Promised Land in punishment 
for his sin, although God had pardoned that sin. You 
see, then, that we have to do penance for a time for 
our sins. Let us review this lesson. ( Question the 
pupils on the foregomg lesson.) —The penitent receives 
from the confessor a penance; he must perform that 
conscientiously. But there are people, who imagine, 
that if they have performed this little penace, then all 
is over. Oh! they deceive themselves. One does not 
get rid of Purgatory as easily as that. You know your¬ 
selves: God forgives the eternal punishment, but not 
always the temporal punishment. The sinner must 
generally satisfy for a part of it himself.—The Saints 
knew that very well; therefore they were zealous 
penitents. Just think of the life of St. Aloysius! 
What do you still know of his life?—You see, even the 
little Saint sometimes sinned a little in his life. For 
these little, youthful faults, later on he did much and 
severe penance. Now I shall relate to you, how zeal¬ 
ously St. Aloysius did penance for all his sins. 

Aim. From him you can learn: how you also ought 
to do penance voluntarily . 

Presentation. You already know how zealous little 
Aloysius was before his First Holy Confession. But he 
was just as zealous after his Confession. He per¬ 
formed his penance conscientiously. But that was not 


VOLUNTARY SATISFACTION 257 

enough for him. He wanted to do some penance him¬ 
self, of his own free will. 

Aloysius was a little weak. Therefore his servant 
wanted to place a little foot-stool, or a carpet, some¬ 
times before him, when he was at his prayers, so that 
he might kneel more easily. However, Aloysius re¬ 
fused that help and knelt on the bare floor. Often¬ 
times he arose in the night to pray. He did that even 
in the cold winter. Now it happened, of course, that 
at times his whole body became stiff and numb with 
the cold and he fell to the ground from weakness.— 
Not less zealous than at his prayers was he in regard 
to fasting. Twice each week he kept a strict fast, 
once on Friday and again on Saturday. On these days 
he ate only three little pieces of bread, which he 
dipped into water. He also fasted in the same way on 
the vigils of great feasts. At other times also he was 
always temperate in eating and drinking, so that many 
wondered: How a man could live like that!—But Aloy¬ 
sius wanted to chastise his body not only by fasting, 
but also by crucifying his body, as it were, whenever 
he could. He did not want a soft and warm bed for 
sleeping; no, he laid himself upon a piece of board in 
the bed to hurt his body. Likewise during the winter 
season he never allowed anyone to heat his room, so 
that his hands often were swollen with the cold and 
hurt him severely.—As strict as the Saint was with 
himself, so good and kind was he with others. The 
poor especially were his pets. He helped them wher¬ 
ever he could, and gave wherever he could. Yes, he was 
saving with himself, in order that he might give joy 
to the poor children. 

In his eighteenth year Aloysius left his father and 
mother and brothers and sisters and home and became 
a poor, simple brother in a convent. There it was his 
greatest joy to be allowed to perform the lowest kind 
of work: to sweep the corridors and the rooms or to 
wash the dishes in the kitchen. Yes, this son of a 
prince even went in the streets from door to door, to 


258 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


beg alms for the poor. But on Sundays he gathered 
the children about him and explained the Catechism 
to them. 

At that time there broke out a deadly pest in 
Rome. Then you should have seen the Saint! Untir¬ 
ingly he nursed the sick in the hospitals, gave them 
medicine, arranged their beds, counseled them to bear 
their sufferings gladly and patiently and to die in 
resignation to God’s holy will. However, soon Aloy- 
sius also was seized by the dreadful disease. He suf¬ 
fered great pains. But never did he utter a single 
word of complaint. He accepted without murmur or 
complaint the bitter pills and medicine, which the doc¬ 
tor gave him, hard as it was. In a short while his 
powers were devoured by the sickness. The doctor 
said, that the end was near. Then Aloysius began to 
sing: “Holy God, we praise Thy name!” With joy he 
said to the priest: “Gladly I go away from here!” 
“Where to?” asked the priest. “Into Heaven, to God 
into Heaven.” And so it was. While dying the Saint 
prayed: “Father, into Thy hands I commend my 
spirit!” Then only a few more pious, gentle sighs: 
“Jesus, Jesus!”—and the Saint was dead. 

Explanation. Would you also like to die as piously 
as Aloysius ?—If so, you must also do penance zealous¬ 
ly now. Let us look a little more closely at the works 
of penance and satisfaction of this Saint. 

1. Aloysius was untiring in prayer; he prayed 
“without ceasing,” as St. Paul admonishes us (I Thess. 
v, 17) ; he prayed day and night. Do you not think 
that all that praying and kneeling sometimes seemed 
hard to him? Do you not think, that the bitter cold 
of winter also hurt him severely ? But the Saint gladly 
endured all—for love of God and as penance for his 
sins. For one can do penance by praying. Prayer is 
a work of penance.—How else did Aloysius do pen¬ 
ance?—The Saint was zealous in fasting. To be sure 
he would have preferred good food to fasting; and he 


VOLUNTARY SATISFACTION 259 

would have been allowed to eat that too. Still be 
abstained from it and conquered the longing to satisfy 
his palate—for love of God and in penance for his sins. 
For to fast is to do penance. Fasting is a work of pen¬ 
ance.— (Why should we all fast?)—How severely did 
he not treat his body! If a sick person is unable to 
sleep at night, how long does not the time seem to him! 
He imagines, that it is like a little eternity. But 
Aloysius voluntarily kept awake for hours during the 
night by praying; and when he went to sleep, he also 
hurt his body by lying on that hard board. Why did 
he treat his body so severely?—For love of God and in 
penance for his sins. For to hurt one’s body, to cause 
it pain, to mortify the body, is a penance, too. Morti¬ 
fication is a work of penance.—Tell me further: Why 
was Aloysius a friend of the poor? Why did he so 
gladly instruct the children in Christian Doctrine? 
Why did he so kindly nurse the poor sick, as the kind¬ 
est of mothers nurses her child? Why did he even 
go begging from house to house ?—All for love of God 
and in penance for his sins; for such corporal and 
spiritual works of mercy are works of penance.— 
Finally Aloysius never became impatient, when things 
did not go according to his liking. If he had to put up 
with disappointments, or sorrows, if his body ached 
and the people treated him unkindly, no matter what 
happened to him, he bore all the ills of life patiently 
for love of God and in penance for his sins. To bear 
patiently the ills of life is also a work of penance. Now 
let us put the whole answer together: The chief means 
by which we satisfy God for temporal punishments due 
to sin are: Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving, all spiritual 
and corporal works of mercy, and the patient suffering 
of the ills of life. ( Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board; see the diagram below just above the synthesis.) 

2. a) Now, of course, many will say: Why so much 
penance?—All that was not necessary. Yes, thus do 
shortsighted worldlings talk; but true children of God 
think otherwise and speak otherwise. Do you see? 


260 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


The good God is just. He demands, therefore, penance 
for sin. The sinner is bound to do so much, that it is 
enough in the sight of God; he must satisfy the Divine 
Justice. Whoever is unwilling to do that now, must 
do that some time in Purgatory. St. Aloysius knew 
that very well. Therefore he preferred to do penance 
and to suffer now, rather than do it some day in Pur¬ 
gatory. Did he act wisely? We also ought to do as he 
did. We should also endeavor to satisfy the Divine 
Justice by other voluntary works of penance . (Repeat 

together; use the blackboard.) Of course, it is true: 
St. Aloysius did more satisfaction or penance than the 
just God demanded. But he did not do penance in 
vain; he received his reward in Heaven for doing it. 

b) Finally the good God also placed another hard 
penance on the Saint.—His love for the sick made 
Aloysius himself ill. He had to suffer great pains. 
Many a one becomes impatient in his sufferings and at 
once complains in a very unchristian manner: “How 
did I deserve that? How can God send me anything 
like that?” Did Aloysius act like that? No, he bore 
his heavy sufferings with a heavenly patience. The 
greater the suffering, the greater was his joy. Never 
did he complain, but he always prayed as Jesus did: 
“Father! not mine but Thy will be done!” Thus does a 
true Christian suffer: He endeavors to satisfy the 
Divine Justice by his patience in his sufferings. ( Re¬ 
peat together; use the blackboard.) —But the most bit¬ 
ter thing in life is death. Many Christians do not like 
to die at all. Aloysius was entirely different; he 
greeted death like a dear Angel from Heaven. Do you 
see? Thus does a true Christian act. He dies in pen¬ 
ance for his sins and thinks and prays at the same 
time: “Lord, Thy will be done even though it does 
hurt ever so much!” 

Write on the blackboard: 

1. Works of penance—(1) prayer, fasting, mortifi- 


VOLUNTARY SATISFACTION 261 

cation; (2) corporal and spiritual works of 
mercy; (3) bearing patiently the ills of life. 

2. Penance from God—patience in sufferings and 
death. 

Synthesis. The whole life of St. Aloysius was a life 
penance. What works of penance did he perform?— 
How was the Saint in sufferings and death?—Why 
did Aloysius want to do penance so zealously? The 
Saint is a model for us all. Should we perform only 
the penance which the confessor gives us?—( Have the 
pupils read the answers from the Catechism and black - 
board. Assign the lesson for the next class.) 

Application. 1. Just think again of Aloysius! Now 
he is in eternal life for his holy life of penance. Do 
you think, that he feels sorry for his penance ?—Recall 
other holy penitents! How did Magdalen do penance ? 
Peter ?— 

2. Children, you also ought gladly to do penance. 
Of course, the good God does not demand that you 
should do penance as zealously as Aloysius did. We 
can admire much in the Saint, but not imitate it. But 
what penances ought you to take upon yourselves of 
your own free will?—The easiest thing is prayer. You 
might offer to God the Stations of the Cross, the Ros¬ 
ary, especially Holy Mass, as penance. You also can 
sometimes fast a little—If you are thirsty, do not 
drink; if your favorite food is placed on the table, eat 
a little less than you would like to eat. You can also 
mortify yourselves in regard to your eyes: do not look 
at everything curiously; fast with your ears—do not 
listen to everything; fast with your tongue—do not 
talk too much. Sometimes you can also get up a 
quarter of an hour earlier and go to Holy Mass. If it 
is cold in winter, do not complain, but say: “I will do 
penance; the Christ Child also had to freeze.” Some¬ 
times you can also do a little work of mercy.—Give 
something to poor children; gladly give the alms for 


262 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

the poor heathen children. Perhaps the good God will 
send you a penance—sickness, poverty; then think to 
yourselves: I will gladly accept that and bear it. 

Do you see? Those are mostly little things and yet, 
they are worth a great deal, if you like Aloysius do all 
for love of God and for penance. All of that will be¬ 
come easy for you, if you think of Purgatory. Just 
look at the Poor Souls! What do you suppose they 
would do, if they were allowed to return once more to 
earth? They would act just as Aloysius did: they 
would do penance day and night. But they are not 
allowed to return anymore. Now they can only sigh: 
Oh! if only I had been a little more zealous in doing 
penance I would have been in Heaven a long time ago. 
But now I must burn and satisfy—Oh! how long, how 
long? 


LESSON XXXV. 

Indulgences. 


Catechetical Unit: 

1) By what means does the Church assist us in the 
discharge of the temporal punishments due to our sins ? 
(Deharbe) 

2) What is an Indulgence? L. XXI, Q. 231. 

3) Is an Indulgence a pardon of sin or a license to 
commit sin? L. XXI, Q. 232. 

4) What is a Plenary Indulgence? L. XXI, Q. 234. 

5) What is a Partial Indulgence? L. XXI, Q. 235. 

6) How many kinds of Indulgences are there? L. 
XXI, Q. 233. 

7) What must we believe with regard to Indulg¬ 
ences ? (Deharbe) 

8) How does the Church by means of Indulgences 
remit the temporal punishment due to sin? L. XXI, 
Q. 236. 

Preparation. Dear children, let us first review what 


INDULGENCES 263 

we learned in the last lesson. ( Question the pupils 
briefly on the foregoing lesson.) —You know: every 
sin deserves punishment. To mortal sin there attaches 
eternal punishment, to venial sin temporal punish¬ 
ment. How is the eternal punishment remitted?— 
God always remits the eternal punishment with the 
sin, but not always the temporal punishment. But we 
can also get rid of the temporal punishment—thanks 
be to God!—How is that possible ? That can be done: 
1) by the penance imposed by the confessor; but gen¬ 
erally a part still remains; 2) by the voluntary pen¬ 
ance of the penitent; 3) by the penance imposed by 
God—by patiently bearing the ills of life; 4) by the 
penance of the Church—I mean by an Indulgence. For 
the Church is a very solicitous Mother. She fears, 
that many of her children would otherwise be obliged 
some day to remain in Purgatory until the end of the 
world. Therefore the Church assists us in the dis¬ 
charge of the temporal punishment due to our sins by 
the grant of Indulgences. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard; see the diagram below just above the syn¬ 
thesis.) You have often heard of Indulgences. But 
perhaps you do not yet clearly understand what an 
Indulgence is. 

Aim. I shall now explain to you: What is an Indulg¬ 
ence? Pay strict attention! for an Indulgence is not 
an easy matter to understand. 

Presentation. The penitent receives a penance from 
the confessor. But the penance is very slight. In the 
old days of the Christian Church the penances were 
much greater. You have already heard: For careless 
swearing a person had to fast seven days on bread and 
water. A liar did not fare any better. Whoever insult¬ 
ed and cursed his parents, received a penance, that 
lasted for forty days. For talking in church there was 
imposed as penance a strict fast of ten days. Yes, 
many a sinner received penances, that lasted his whole 
life. So strict were the penances, or punishments, 


264 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


imposed by the Church. And yet, most of the Chris¬ 
tians gladly accepted their penances; for they knew 
very well: I have deserved an entirely different pen¬ 
ance from God for my sins!—Now if a sinner was 
very zealous in performing his penance, the Church, 
too, showed herself to be a kind Mother; she forgave, 
remitted, a part or even the whole penance of the 
sinner. Just listen! 

A Christian has fallen away from the Church and 
gone over to a false religion. That was, indeed, a 
great sin. But soon his eyes were opened: What have 
I done! Now he repented of his sins most bitterly and 
confessed them sincerely. Then he hastened, weeping 
and clothed in penitential garb, to our Holy Father, 
the Pope, and cast himself at his feet. And because 
his contrition was so burning and his zeal for penance 
so great, the Pope remitted the entire punishment 
imposed by the Church (the ecclesiastical punish¬ 
ment) . 

One thing more! Formerly the Christians were 
often cruelly martyred, or tortured, for Christ and 
the Christian Faith. Then it happened frequently, 
that a poor sinner would say to a martyr: Oh, put in 
a good word for me with the Bishop! Then the Bishop 
would remit generally a part of the penance, but only 
after the sinner had confessed and performed a part 
of the penance for his sin. That is how Indulgences 
originated. 

Later on all that was changed. The Church de¬ 
clared: Whoever performs some good work—prays, 
fasts, gives alms, receives the Sacraments—will re¬ 
ceive for that good work a remission of the temporal 
punishment due his sins. That is still the custom 
today in the Church. 

Explanation. 1. When one has confessed, all is not 
finished; the penitent must still do penance for his 
sins. In like manner when one has performed the pen¬ 
ance, all is not yet finished; generally some temporal 


INDULGENCES 265 

punishment still remains. Now just think of the sin¬ 
ner, about whom I have just told you in the story! 
What sin did he commit ?—He fell way from the Chris¬ 
tian Faith; however, he repented of his sin and con¬ 
fessed and did penance for it. Did that sinner do all 
the penance himself?—No, our Holy Father, the Pope, 
remitted, forgave, the punishment due his sins, be¬ 
cause that sinner had such great zeal in performing 
his penance. Do you see? That was an Indulgence— 
a remission, in whole or in part, of the temporal pun¬ 
ishment due to sin. (Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board.) 

How good and kind Holy Mother, the Church, is 
with us! If you think of the number of your past 
sins, and the many sins which you commit each day; if 
you think how small the penance is, which the confessor 
imposes upon you in Confession, and how little penance 
you do of your own free will; can you doubt, that you 
have still a great deal of penance to perform for your 
sins? Must you not fear, that you will never be able to 
pay all the debts as long as you live upon earth?— 
Therefore the Church comes to our assistance by help¬ 
ing us to get rid of these temporal punishments by 
granting us Indulgences. 

2. a) Many non-Catholics falsely accuse the Church 
in regard to Indulgences. In the first place, they say, 
that when the Church grants us an Indulgence, she 
remits, forgives, our past sins. That is not true. How 
do we Catholics get rid of sin?—In the Sacrament of 
Penance, or Confession. When the priest absolves the 
sinner, God Himself forgives the sin, and at the same 
time the eternal punishments due to sin. Yes, God 
generally also takes away a part of the temporal pun¬ 
ishment due to sin. But that is not an Indulgence. 

Just think of our story! When our Holy Father 
remitted the temporal punishment of the sinner, he 
did not do this in Confession. That took place out of 
Confession. In like manner when a sinner gained 
an Indulgence at the request of a martyr, that sinner 


266 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

had first to confess his sin and do penance. Only then 
did the Bishop grant him an Indulgence. You see, 
then, that an Indulgence is not a pardon for sin. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard.) An Indulg¬ 
ence is a remission of the temporal punishment, which, 
even after the sin is forgiven, we have yet to undergo, 
either here or in Purgatory. An Indulgence is 
granted not in Confession, but out of Confession, or the 
Sacrament of Penance. As long as the sinner remains 
in sin, he is deserving of punishment. Therefore he 
must first have his sin forgiven in Confession; only 
then can he have the temporal punishment due his sins 
taken away by an Indulgence. 

b) Some non-Catholics go even farther in their false 
notions about Indulgences. They say, that when the 
Pope or a Bishop grants an Indulgence, he gives the 
sinner permission, or license, to commit sin. How can 
people be so foolish! The Church teaches, that a sin¬ 
ner cannot gain an Indulgence while he is in mortal 
sin. First the sinner must feel sorry for his sin and 
confess it. Only after he has received the absolution 
of the priest and done some penance for his sin, can he 
hope to receive an Indulgence. An Indulgence is not a 
license to commit sin, and one who is in the state of 
mortal sin, cannot gain an Indulgence. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard.) 

3. The sinner of our story threw himself at the feet 
of the Pope and was filled with contrition for his sins. 
Why did he do this ?—He wanted to ask for the remis¬ 
sion of the temporal punishment due his sins. How 
much of this temporal punishment did the Pope remit ? 
—He forgave the sinner the entire punishment. There¬ 
fore that was a Plenary Indulgence. If the sinner had 
died immediately after this, he would already have 
been ripe for Heaven. For whoever gains a Plenary 
Indulgence, has received the remission of all the tem¬ 
poral punishment due his sins; he does not need to go 
to Purgatory at all. A Plenary Indulgence is the full 


INDULGENCES 267 

remission of the temporal punishment due to sin. 

(Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

4. But it is not so easy to gain a Plenary Indulgence. 
For that we need a heart, that is filled with holy love 
and contrition, a thoroughly holy Christian mind and 
heart. Only few people are able to do that. As long 
as there is the smallest stain of sin in the soul, there is 
no Plenary Indulgence. Whoever wants to be free from 
all the punishment due his sins, must first be free from 
every sin.—But the Pope could also have remitted only 
a part of the temporal punishment due to sin. That 
was generally the case, when a martyr asked the 
Bishop to free the sinner from the temporal punish¬ 
ment due his sins. In such a case it would not have 
been a Plenary Indulgence, but only a Partial Indul¬ 
gence.—A Partial Indulgence is the remission in part of 
the temporal punishment due to sin. (Repeat together; 
use the blackboard.) 

You see, then, there are two kinds of Indulgences— 
Plenary and Partial. (Repeat together.) 

5. a) But tell me: From whom has the Holy Father 
the power of remitting the temporal punishment due 
to sin?—This power comes from Christ. He said ex¬ 
pressly to Peter: “Whatsoever thou shalt loose upon 
earth, is loosed also in Heaven” (Matt, xvi, 19). Those 
are great words. What did Christ mean to say?—If 
you loose, remit, sins upon earth, they are loosed, or re¬ 
mitted, also in Heaven. Where does that happen?—If 
you loose, remit, the punishments due to sin, they are 
also loosed, remitted, in Heaven. That happens by an 
Indulgence.—You see, then: we must believe that the 
Catholic Church has the power from Christ to grant 
Indulgences. (Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 
Formerly Peter and the other Apostles were allowed 
to grant Indulgences; now the Pope does it. The 
Bishops now have the power only of granting some 
Partial Indulgences. 

b) But there are many Christians, who do not value 
Indulgences at all. Is an Indulgence really worth 


268 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


nothing at all ?—An Indulgence takes the place of Pur¬ 
gatory; is that not worth anything? How glad and 
thankful will not a sinner be some day for an Indul¬ 
gence ! An Indulgence is a great gain for us; there¬ 
fore we say: to gain an Indulgence. Many people 
imagine also, that by Indulgences sinners are kept 
back from doing penance.—No, the very opposite is 
true: sinners are thereby urged to do penance. Why ? 
We shall see afterwards.— We believe that the use of 
Indulgences is very salutary for us. (Repeat together; 
use the blackboard.) 

6. But now a doubt comes to my mind. God de¬ 
mands penance, satisfaction, for every sin; for He is 
just. But that sinner had the penance forgiven him; 
he did not have to do all the penance himself. Who paid 
God the money to atone for him? Who did the pen¬ 
ance for him? — Listen to a parable! In a family 
father and mother and children work and earn a nice 
fortune. Only one son is a good-for-nothing fellow. 
He lives a free and easy life from day to day and con¬ 
tracts debts carelessly and gets into misery and can no 
longer help himself. However, his father has a good 
heart and says: “After all he is my son; I must help 
him again.” And so he pays the debts from the 
family fortune.—We all belong to a large Christian 
family, the Catholic Church. There too there are good 
and bad children, Saints and sinners. In this Chris¬ 
tian family we have a holy family possession, a family 
treasury. Of course there is not money in it, but 

rather all good works and merits. But from whom?_ 

In it there is all, that Jesus earned by His life and 
sufferings and death, and that is infinitely much and 
precious. In it there is all, that the dear Mother of 
God has earned. In it there is all, that the Saints have 
earned. Recall what I have told you about the Mar¬ 
tyrs, how oftentimes they offered their merits to sin¬ 
ners. All that is a holy family treasury; we call it the 
treasury of the Church—the spiritul treasury. The 
merits, which the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints 


INDULGENCES 269 

earned by their good and virtuous life, were more than 
enough for themselves, much more than they needed 
for themselves. We say: those merits were super¬ 
abundant. Were those merits lost, when Mary and 
the Saints died?—No indeed; they were kept in the 
spiritual treasury of the Church. But who is the 
treasurer?—Our Holy Father, the Pope, is the treas¬ 
urer. He may take from the Church treasury and pay 
our debts, the temporal punishments due our sins. 
That then is an Indulgence.—The Church by means of 
Indulgences remits the temporal punishment due to sin 
by applying to us the merits of Jesus Christ, and the 
superabundant satisfactions of the Blessed Virgin 
Mary and of the Saints; which merits and satisfactions 
are its spiritual treasury. ( Repeat together; use the 
blackboard.) 

Write on the blackboard: 

1. Church helps us to get rid of temporal punish¬ 

ments due to sin—by Indulgences. 

2. Indulgence—remission, in whole or part, of tem¬ 

poral punishments due to sin: not pardon for 

sin: not license to sin (3). 

4. Indulgence—a) Plenary—full remission; b) Par¬ 

tial—part remission. 

5. We believe—a) Indulgence—from Christ; b) In¬ 

dulgence—very salutary for us. 

6. Merits of Christ, satisfaction of Mary and Saints 

—spiritual treasury. 

Synthesis. Do you now understand what an Indulg¬ 
ence is?—We have written the chief points on the 
blackboard. How does the Church help us to satisfy 
for the temporal punishment due to our sins?—What 
is an Indulgence?—Is it a pardon for sin?—a license 
to commit sin ?—How many kinds of Indulgences are 
there?—What is a Plenary Indulgence?—A Partial 
Indulgence ?—Why is it hard to gain a Plenary Indul¬ 
gence ?—What must we Catholics believe in regard to 
Indulgences?—Why do we say that Indulgences are a 


270 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


gain ?—How does the Church pay God for the punish¬ 
ments we owe for our sins ?—Who grants Indulgences ? 
— (Have the pupils read the answers from the Cate¬ 
chism and blackboard. Assign the lesson for the next 
class.) 

Application. 1. In a Partial Indulgence only a part 
of the temporal punishment due our sins is remitted. 
But how much of the punishment?—Just see! You 
say devoutly: “Praised be Jesus Christ!”— and for 
that you gain an Indulgence of fifty days. Have fifty 
days been pardoned you now from Purgatory?—Many 
people think so. But that is not so. Imagine that you 
are living in the early days of the Church. You com¬ 
mit a certain sin and for that you receive from the 
Church a penance that lasts for fifty days. But in¬ 
stead of doing that penance, now you recite that 
Christian salutation devoutly: “Praised be Jesus 
Christ!” Your penance is over. You see, therefore, 
that an Indulgence of fifty days is a remission of fifty 
days penance, which the Church used to prescribe in 
the early days. But how much does that take away 
from Purgatory?—I cannot tell you that; that lies 
hidden in God’s hands. 

2. Now listen to another example ! Your First Holy 
Confession did not take place so very long ago. In 
Holy Confession your hearts became pure again from 
sins and free for eternal punishment; but perhaps 
some of the temporal punishment is still left to be 
atoned for. But you want to get rid of all. How 
can that be done?—You pray the Stations of the 
Cross devoutly and contritely. For that you gain a 
Plenary Indulgence and you are freed from all pun¬ 
ishment. If you have gained the Plenary Indulg¬ 
ence, you can die in peace; your soul is already ripe for 
Heaven.—Do you see now what a precious treasure an 
Indulgence is? Yes, we cannot thank the good God 
enough for having given such a power to His Church. 
A thousand thanks to Thee, 0 Jesus, for Thy heavenly 
gift! 


GAINING AN INDULGENCE 


271 


LESSON XXXVI. 

Gaining An Indulgence. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) What must one do to gain an Indulgence? L. 
XXI, Q. 237. 

2) Can Indulgences also be rendered available for 
the souls in Purgatory? (Deharbe) 

Preparation. Dear children, you know what an In¬ 
dulgence is. Let us review that briefly. (Question the 
pupils on the foregoing lesson .)—Now I must still tell 
you the principal thing: 

Aim. How can you gain an Indulgence? 

Presentation. In your prayer-books you will find 
many prayers to which are attached Indulgences. Open 
your book at the prayers after Holy Communion! 
(Open your Catechism, page 76!) There you see the 
following prayer: 

“Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, while 
before Thy face I humbly kneel, and with burning soul, 
pray and beseech Thee to fix deeply in my heart lively 
sentiments, of faith, hope, and charity, true contrition 
for my sins, and a firm purpose of amendment; and 
while I contemplate with great love and tender pity 
Thy five wounds, pondering over them within me, and 
calling to mind the words which David, Thy Prophet, 
said of Thee, my Jesus: They have pierced My hands 
and My feet; they have numbered all My bones.” (Ps. 
XXI, 17, 18). 

Just below this prayer is attached a little notice, 
which reads: A Plenary Indulgence, which can be 
applied to the souls in Purgatory, may be gained by 
the faithful, who after having confessed and received 
Holy Communion, shall devoutly recite the above pray¬ 
er before an image or picture of Christ crucified, and 


272 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


pray for the intentions of the Holy Father. (Pius IX, 
July 31, 1858). 

Explanation. 1. Here you have a Plenary Indul¬ 
gence ; therefore a remission of all the temporal punish¬ 
ments due to sin. What is the principal thing in the 
whole affair?—Whoever wants to gain the Plenary 
Indulgence, must first confess, so that he may be made 
a child of God’s grace. Confession is not necessary for 
every Plenary Indulgence, but the state of grace is 
always necessary. For one who is in mortal sin, there 
is no Indulgence. Who knows the reason?—A person 
in mortal sin is an enemy of God. First sin must be 
done away with; only then is the punishment taken 
away. Remember that well: To gain an Indulgence 
we must be in the state of grace. ( Repeat together; 
use the blackboard; see the diagram below just above 
the synthesis.) For a person in mortal sin an Indul¬ 
gence would also be entirely useless. Why ?—Just see ! 
Here is a child that has a deadly disease and also a 
toothache. The toothache stops, but the deadly disease 
continues.—The poor child must die, of course. Just 
so is it in regard to the poor sinner. A person in 
mortal sin deserves eternal punishment. What has 
he, if the temporal punishment is forgiven him ? Why, 
he remains bound to Hell just as long as he remains in 
mortal sin. 

2. An Indulgence is a precious gift of Heaven. But 
we do not receive it altogether gratis; we also must do 
something; pray, visit some church, receive the Sacra¬ 
ments, give alms. Let us look at what good works are 
required for the Plenary Indulgence, about which we 
have just been speaking. There we read expressly: 
1) Whoever wants to gain the Indulgence must con¬ 
fess and receive Holy Communion. 2) This prayer 
must be recited before a crucifix, or an image of the 
crucified Saviour; otherwise it is useless for the Indul¬ 
gence. 3) It is necessary to say the prayer devoutly 
and with contrite heart. Prayer said carelessly and 


GAINING AN INDULGENCE 273 

with distraction is, of course, a sin. 4) Finally we 
must pray for the needs of Holy Church. What does 
that mean ?—That means: we must pray, that the good 
God may protect the Church against her enemies; pray 
that He may spread the Church continually more and 
more among the heathens; pray, that He may lead back 
to the true Church all, who are in a false faith: those 
are the petitions, or needs, of Holy Church: the in¬ 
tentions of the Holy Father. For that purpose you 
may recite the prayers, that follow in the prayer-book 
after Holy Communion, or five Our Fathers and Hail 
Marys. Whoever omits only one of these points, does 
not gain the Indulgence. For to gain a.n Indulgence we 
must perform the works enjoined. ( Repeat together; 
use the blackboard.) 

3. Now look again at the notice below the prayer! 
There the words are also added: “A Plenary Indulg¬ 
ence, which can be applied to the Souls in Purgatory.” 
How must that be understood ?—I gain the Indulgence 
for my own poor soul. But I can also apply the In¬ 
dulgence to the Poor Souls in Purgatory, or offer it to 
them as a pious alms. The Holy Father, the treasurer 
of Indulgences, has said so. That is true in regard to 
most Indulgences.— All Indulgences are available to 
the souls in Purgatory , which the Pope has expressly 
declared to be applicable to them. (Repeat together; 
use the blackboard.) 

But hold! I have still a little doubt: If I gain the 
Plenary Indulgence, I am freed from all temporal 
punishment. Now I offer that Indulgence to a Poor 
Soul; will that soul be freed from Purgatory?—Per¬ 
haps ; but I do not know for sure. All that we can do 
is to beg the good God; it is His concern to give or not 
to give. For He alone can free from Purgatory. But 
even though I do apply the Indulgence to the Poor 
Souls, I am not the loser thereby; the heavenly reward 
will remain to me for giving this pious alms; I cannot 
lose that. 


274 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Write on the blackboard: 

1. To gain an Indulgence: 

a) state of grace; 

b) good works. 

2. Indulgence—for the Poor Souls. 

Synthesis. Now you know all that a good Christian 
ought to know about Indulgences. Let us review again 
today’s lesson. What is necessary to gain an Indul¬ 
gence ?—Why cannot a person in mortal sin gain an 
Indulgence?—Can we also apply Indulgences to the 
Poor Souls ? ( Have the pupils read the answers from 

the Catechism and blackboard. Assign the lesson for 
the next class.) 

Application. 1. In a certain Catholic country of 
Europe (Bavaria) the beautiful custom obtained, ac¬ 
cording to which every year at Christmas the king 
used to grant to many prisoners their liberty as a 
present. Then they were free and were permitted to 
go home to their families and celebrate the Holy Feast 
of the Lord’s Nativity. You can well imagine, what a 
joy that must have been and how thankful the people 
were for that gift.—We all are also prisoners, who 
deserve to be put in God’s prison, Purgatory. But the 
good Lord wants to remit our punishment, as a favor, 
a grace, and that indeed not only at Christmas, but 
every day. That happens by means of Indulgences. 
What a happiness, if some day at least, or immediately 
after death, we may enter into Heaven! Therefore 
we cannot thank God enough for Indulgences, and we 
ought to use them zealously. Yes, a good Christian 
child ought to have a holy covetousness in its heart for 
Indulgences; that is not a sin, but rather a virtue. 

2. But, children, do not forget the Poor Souls! 0, 
how happy would not they be to receive an Indulgence ! 
But over there there is no Indulgence any longer. 
Therefore they call out imploringly: “Dear children, 
have mercy on us and give us an Indulgence !” The 


GAINING AN INDULGENCE 275 

Poor Souls will some day thank you, when they are rich 
souls in Heaven. 

3. Finally I want to tell you some more Indul¬ 

gences, which you can easily gain. With each sign of 
the cross you gain an Indulgence of fifty days; if you 
at the same time take Holy Water you gain an Indul¬ 
gence of one hundred days. For the little prayer: 
“My Jesus, mercy!” there is an Indulgence of one 
hundred days. “Sweet Heart of Jesus, grant that I 
may love Thee more and more!”—three hundred days 
Indulgence. “Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation!” 
—three hundred days Indulgence. For the Angelus 
—one hundred days Indulgence. For the acts of Faith, 
Hope and Charity—seven years and seven quarantines 
(that is, a fast for forty days). “0 Jesus, meek and 

humble of Heart, make my heart like unto Thine!”— 
three hundreds days Indulgence. For saying the Sta¬ 
tions of the Cross you can gain even a Plenary Indul¬ 
gence. But you must pass from one station to the 
other and meditate on the Passion of Christ. If the 
people make the Stations together with the priest, they 
may kneel and stand in turn in their pews at each sta¬ 
tion, while the priest passes from station to station. 

4. Just see, children, by means of Indulgences you 
can redeem yourselves from Purgatory. So little do 
you have to give, and so much is given to you. There¬ 
fore each morning make the good intention of gaining 
all the Indulgences you can. First offer the entire 
day to the good God: “My God and Lord, all for Thy 
honor!” Then also add: “0 God, grant me all the 
Indulgences, which I can gain today!” How happy 
that will make you feel in the last dread hour! 


IV. 

HOLY EUCHARIST 




TRUE BREAD FROM HEAVEN 


277 


LESSON XXXVII. 

The True Bread From Heaven. 

(Supplementary) 

Catechetical Unit: 

Did Jesus promise to give to His disciples His real 
Flesh to eat and His real Blood to drink ? 

Aim. Dear children, we have till now learned to 
know more fully the first three Sacraments: Baptism, 
Confirmation and Penance. The Sacrament, about 
which you are now to hear, is holier than these three 
and holier than the three others, that follow. It is 
called the “Most Blessed Sacrament”. Before Christ 
instituted this Sacrament, He solemnly promised it. 
We are going to hear of that today: How Jesus prom¬ 
ised to give to His disciples and to us all the Most 
Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. (Use the black¬ 
board; see the diagram below just above the syn¬ 
thesis) . 

Preparation. Let us look for the Lake of Genesa- 
reth on a map of the Holy Land. Where is Caphar- 
naum?—There Jesus loved most of all to spend His 
time. On the north-eastern shore lies the little town 
of Bethsaida. Further back little hills arise. But in 
between there is a wild and deserted country. There 
in the desert occurred the wonderful multiplication 
of the bread: Jesus fed five thousand men with five 
loaves and two fishes. When the people had seen the 
miracle, they cried out: “This is of a truth the 
Prophet, that is to come into the world, the Messias”! 
Yes, they wanted to lead Jesus by force to Jerusalem 
and make Him king. But Jesus went away from them 
secretly and betook Himself to a nearby mountain; 
there He spent the whole night in prayer. Surely 
that is not without meaning; Jesus must have some¬ 
thing important in view. The next morning He came 


278 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

down again from the mountain and went to Caphar- 
naum. At once the people hastened to Him in crowds. 
Then Jesus preached a remarkable sermon about the 
true Bread from Heaven. 

Presentation. When Jesus saw the multitude of 
people, He scolded them, saying: “You seek Me, be¬ 
cause you did eat of the loaves and were filled. Labour 
not for the meat, which perisheth, but for that which 
endureth unto life everlasting, which the Son of man 
will give you. ,, The Jews said to Him: “Lord, give 
us always this bread”. But Jesus replied: “I am 
the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall not 
hunger; and he that believeth in Me, shall never 
thirst. I am the word of life. Your fathers did eat 
manna in the desert, and are dead. This is the bread, 
which cometh down from heaven: that if any man 
eat of it, he may not die. 1 am the living bread , which 
came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this 
bread, he shall live forever . And the bread , that 1 will 
give is My Flesh for the life of the world” (John vi). 

Therefore the Jews quarrelled among themselves 
and said: “How can this man give us His Flesh to 
eat ?” Then Jesus said to them again: “Amen, amen 
I say to you: Except you eat the Flesh of the Son of 
man, and drink His Blood, you shall not have life in 
you. He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My 
Blood, hath everlasting life and I will raise him up on 
the last day. For My Flesh is meat indeed and My 
Blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My Flesh and 
drinketh My Blood, abideth in Me and I in him. He 
that eateth this bread, shall live forever”. 

The Jews could not understand these words. Many 
of them said: “This is a hard saying. Who can 
bear it?” Therefore they left Jesus and walked no 
longer with Him. Then Jesus said to the twelve: 
“Will you also go away?” But Simon Peter answered: 
“Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of 
eternal life. And we have believed and have known, 
that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God!” 


TRUE BREAD FROM HEAVEN 


279 


Explanation. Dear children, you too are not yet 
able to understand all of Jesus’ sermon. I am going to 
explain to you briefly the chief points. 

1. Jesus had fed the people in a wonderful manner. 
Immediately on the following morning the crowds 
came to Him. What did they want?—They hoped, of 
course, that Jesus would multiply the bread again. 
Not to work at all and yet to eat, that would have 
pleased the most of them. The Saviour understood 
their thoughts at once; therefore His reprimand: “You 
seek Me, because you did eat of the loaves, and were 
filled.” But then He also added these words of coun¬ 
sel: “Labor not for the meat, which perisheth, but 
for that which endureth unto life everlasting, which 
the Son of man will give you”. The Jews understood 
that in an entirely false manner. They imagined, 
that Jesus was speaking of an earthly food . From 
what words do you see that?—“Lord, give us always 
this bread!” The poor, blind Jews! They had many 
cares for the body, but little care for the soul. 

2. Now Jesus explained to them a little more ex¬ 
actly what He meant. “I am the bread of life; he 
that cometh to Me shall not hunger; and he that be- 
lieveth in Me, shall not thirst.” Do you understand 
the Saviour?—The heart of man has hunger and thirst 
for the truth. But he that believes in Christ, has the 
truth and does not have to hunger and thirst any 
more. Therefore Jesus is speaking of a heavenly food , 
of the bread of Faith. But it seems, that the Jews did 
not understand that. Now Jesus speaks even more 
clearly: “Your fathers did eat manna in the desert, 
and are dead”.—Jesus means to say: Your fathers 
received a wonderful heavenly bread in the desert, and 
yet, they had to die; for the manna too was only an 
earthly food. But whoever eats the bread of Faith, 
will not die. Is that true ?—He will indeed die; but 
he only dies, in order to live forever. 

3. Up to now the sermon was only about the bread 
of Faith. But now something else comes: “I am the 


280 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

living bread. If any man eat of this bread, he shall 
live forever. And the bread, which I will give you is 
My Flesh for the life of the world”. The word of 
Faith Jesus has already given; but another bread He 
will soon give to His disciples. What sort of bread 
does Jesus mean?—This mysterious bread is Christ's 
own Flesh. You already know this: When did Jesus 
give us this wonderful bread from Heaven? —That hap¬ 
pened at the Last Supper. Then Jesus changed the 
bread and said: “This is My Body”. 

The Jews could not understand at all, that Jesus 
was to give His Flesh as food. What did they say 
to show that they were displeased and scandalized ?— 
“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Do you 
see? They really understood the Saviour, but they 
explained His words falsely. They imagined, that 
when Jesus had died they would have to eat His 
Flesh. But Jesus had said: “The bread , which I 
will give you is My Flesh for the life of the world”. 
He wishes to give us His Flesh , but in the form of 
bread. The Jews were very much scandalized over 
that. Did the Saviour then take His words back ? No, 
He confirmed His words, saying: “Amen, Amen, I 
say to you: except you eat the Flesh of the Son of 
man, and drink His Blood, you shall not have life in 
yourselves”. Who can explain that?—It is just as He 
said: You must eat My Flesh and drink My Blood; 
only then will you have life in yourselves—the life of 
grace. Yes more than that: through the power of 
this wonderful heavenly bread some day you will 
arise to eternal life. So it is. And in order that there 
may be no doubt at all, Jesus repeats again: “My 
Flesh is meat indeed: and My Blood is drink indeed!” 

4. Many of Jesus’ disciples were scandalized at 
these words. What did they say to one another?— 
What they did not understand they did not want to be¬ 
lieve, and therefore they no longer wanted to remain 
with Jesus. But the Saviour quietly allows them to 
go away; for He cannot use such disciples. By their 


TRUE BREAD FROM HEAVEN 281 

unbelief they foolishly threw away and lost eternal 
life. 

5. But now the Lord turned to His disciples and 
said: “Will you too go away?” Why this question? 
—The Saviour not only asked His disciples, but even 
demanded of them: If you do not want to believe, 
just go away! I do not need you; I shall find others, 
who will believe My words! Then Peter speaks the 
decisive words: “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou 
hast the words of eternal life!” He meant to say: 
Lord! we do not understand Thee. But we believe and 
we will not go away; for Thou hast said it, God's Son. 
Thy word is truth! 

Write on the blackboard : 

Promise of the true heavenly bread : 

“I am the living bread, which came down from 
Heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall 
live forever. And the bread that I will give is My 
Flesh for the life of the world”. 

Synthesis. The Apostles did not understand their 
Divine Master; we understand Him. Let us repeat 
the chief points.—Why did Jesus reprimand the mul¬ 
titudes?—How did He direct their thoughts to the 
heavenly bread?—How did the Jews understand these 
words?—What reward did Jesus promise them, that 
believe in Him?—What is the difference between the 
bread of Faith and the manna ?—What bread did Jesus 
promise to give to His disciples later on?—How did 
the Jews explain these words?—With what words does 
Jesus demand, that we eat His Flesh and drink His 
Blood?—What effect does He ascribe to the eating of 
this food and drink?—How did many of Jesus' disciples 
receive this speech of Jesus?—How did the Apostles 
receive it?—When did Jesus give us what is promised 
in this sermon?—( Have the pupils read the answer 
from the blackboard. Assign for the next class the 
words written on the blackboard ). 


282 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

Application. 1. The sermon of Jesus was hard to 
believe. The Lord wished to test His disciples. They 
stood the test of Faith well. For us too the Most 
Blessed Sacrament is a test of Faith. We ought to 
believe what we do not understand and do not see— 
Christ’s Body under the form of bread! But let us 
say with Peter: Lord! Thou hast the words of eternal 
life. We believe what we do not understand; for Thy 
word is truth. 

2. Jesus says: “My Flesh is meat indeed and My 
Blood is drink indeed”. You too have often partaken 
of Christ’s Flesh and Blood. What a happiness! But 
how pure ought not your heart to be, which receives 
Christ! Therefore you ought to work each day to 
make your heart pure and holy for Jesus. Never for¬ 
get this duty! 

3. The true bread from Heaven is preserved in the 
tabernacle. Think of that, when you enter the church. 
Greet Jesus by making a devout genuflection and adore 
Him, saying: “Honor, praise, and thanksgiving to 
Jesus in the Most Blessed and Adorable Sacrament of 
the Altar!” 


LESSON XXXVIII. 

The Institution of the Holy Eucharist. 
Catechetical Unit: 

1) How did our Lord institute the Holy Eucharist? 
L. XXII, Q. 241. 

2) Who were present when our Lord instituted the 
Holy Eucharist? L. XXII, Q. 240. 

3) When did Christ institute the Holy Eucharist? 
L. XXII, Q. 239. 

Preparation. Dear children, we learned in the last 
class that Jesus promised in a very solemn manner to 
give us His Flesh to eat and His Blood to drink. Let 


INSTITUTION OF HOLY EUCHARIST 283 

us first review this teaching. ( Question the pupils 
briefly on the preceding lesson). —More than a year 
had already passed, since Jesus promised the wonder¬ 
ful bread from Heaven. But as yet He had not given 
it to His followers. Soon He was to part from them and 
to suffer and to die. Therefore His Heart ached as a 
dying mother’s heart aches. Do you know, what is 
hardest of all to a mother’s heart ? That she is obliged 
to part from her children, that is her greatest sorrow. 
“Oh, if only it were not for my poor children, I would 
gladly die! What will happen to my children, when 
I am no more?” Thus does the mother then lament 
and weep. The Saviour’s Heart, too, hurt Him se¬ 
verely, because He was now to part from His disciples; 
for He loved them as the best of mothers loves her 
children. However, He had to leave the world; He had 
to suffer and to die, in order to give us life. 

But Jesus did not want to leave the world, without 
leaving us a memento of His love. But what was He 
to give us? The Saviour was indeed as poor as a 
beggar. He Himself said: “The foxes have their 
holes, the birds of the air have their nests; but the 
Son of man hath not where to lay His head” (Luke 
ix, 58). Nothing was His own, not even His clothing. 
For thus had the Prophet already foretold: “They 
have divided My garments among them, and upon My 
vesture they cast lots” (Ps. xxi, 19). However, love 
is inventive. In His love Jesus found a means of 
making us rich and remaining with us to the end of 
the world: He gave us Himself in the Most Blessed 
Sacrament. 

Aim. Now listen to hoiv Christ instituted the Most 
Blessed Sacrament of the Altar . 

Presentation. The night of the Passion was come, 
the first Holy Thursday. Jesus and the twelve Apos¬ 
tles were gathered together in a room and were cele¬ 
brating the Paschal Supper; for the Easter feast was 
near. Then Jesus spoke: “With desire I have de- 


284 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

sired to eat this Pasch with you before I suffer” (Luke 
xxii, 15). The meal was over. Jesus arose, girded 
Himself with a towel, poured water into a basin and 
began to wash the feet of His disciples. The Lord 
comes to Peter. He will not permit it, saying: “Lord, 
Thou shalt never wash my feet!” However, Jesus wills 
it and the Apostle allows it. The Lord comes to Judas. 
He does not refuse; of course, within him his heart 
burns like fire. He pretends that he is innocent, while 
really he is hatching the devilish plan of betrayal in 
his heart. 

And now the great moment is at hand. Jesus and 
His Apostles are again gathered about the table. Sud¬ 
denly the countenance of the Lord becomes trans¬ 
figured, as it were; a heavenly splendor shines forth 
from His eyes. His entire appearance is like that of 
a being more than earthly. A mysterious silence is in 
the room. The disciples had never seen their Divine 
Master like that before. All have a presentment, that 
something great is about to happen. 

Then Jesus took bread into His holy and venerable 
hands, raised His eyes to Heaven, to God, His heavenly 
Father, gave thanks, blessed the bread, and gave it to 
His disciples and said: “Take ye and eat. This is 
My Body, which is given for you !” In like manner He 
took the chalice of wine also, gave thanks again, gave 
it to His disciples and said: “Drink ye all of this. 
This is the chalice of My Blood : the Blood of the new 
and eternal testament, which is shed for you and for 
many unto the remission of sins. Do this in commem¬ 
oration of Me!” Thanks be to Thee, 0 Jesus, thanks 
a thousand times for Thy precious heavenly gift! 

(Show the children a large picture of this scene). 

Explanation. Let us tarry a little at the Last Sup¬ 
per and consider what has taken place. 

1. Jesus with His disciples ate the paschal lamb. 
You know how the celebration of the pasch began and 
why it took place.—The people of Israel wanted to leave 


INSTITUTION OF HOLY EUCHARIST 285 

the captivity of Pharao, wanted to get out of Egypt. 
At the command of God every father of a family had to 
kill a lamb without blemish and eat it with the family; 
but with the blood of the lamb he had to smear the 
threshold of his house. All the houses marked with the 
blood of the lamb were passed over, or spared, by the 
avenging angel, while in the houses of the Egyptians 
the first-born of the family was killed. In memory of 
this event and in thanksgiving for their deliverance the 
Israelites celebrated each year this meal. It was also 
called the pasch, that is, the passing over, or the 
sparing. The paschal lamb is the type of the true 
Paschal Lamb , Christ. Why a type?—Christ allowed 
Himself to be slain as a paschal lamb for us on the 
cross. Thus He freed us from the slavery of Satan; 
by His Blood He wants to preserve us from the eternal 
death of Hell and wants to lead us into the Promised 
Land—into Heaven. (Use the blackboard; see the dia¬ 
gram below just above the synthesis.) 

2. The celebration of the pasch was over. What 
we now see, we might scarcely believe to be possible: 
Jesus washes the feet of His disciples. Just reflect: 
the All-Holy One does that, the All-High God, to poor 
sinners! Peter feels that deeply; he realizes how un¬ 
worthy he is of such a deed of love; therefore he does 
not want to allow that at any price. What does he 
say to his Divine Master ?—It must have been a deep 
humiliation for Jesus to have humbled Himself so 
much ! What do you suppose was the reason of that ? 
The Lord wanted to give an example to His followers: 
You too should be humble and kind to one another! 
But there is also another counsel in that act of Jesus. 
Jesus wants to point out how pure every heart ought 
to be, into which He Himself is to enter in Holy Com¬ 
munion. How do we prepare for Holy Communion? 
—First we purify our heart in the holy Sacrament of 
Penance, only then do we go to Jesus in the Blessed 
Sacrament. (Use the blackboard). 

3. Now the great moment forever memorable was 


286 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


at hand. What Jesus had long ago promised to His 
disciples, that He now gives to them. What no man 
could imagine possible, that now really took place: 
Jesus gave Himself to us in the Most Blessed Sacra¬ 
ment. On the table there was some unleavened bread, 
such as the Jews had to eat at the paschal supper, and 
also the chalice of wine. What happened now with the 
bread? with the wine?—Jesus took bread, broke, and 
gave it to His Apostles, saying: Take ye and eat. 
This is My Body. Then He took the cup of wine, 
blessed and gave it, saying to them: Drink ye all of 
this. This is My Blood which shall be shed for the? 
remission of sins. Do this for a commemoration of Me. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard ). Thus did 
Jesus institute the Most Blessed Sacrament of the 
Altar, or the Holy Eucharist. 

4. You already know who were present on that 
solemn occasion. When our Lord instituted the Holy 
Eucharist the twelve Apostles were present. ( Repeat 
together; use the blackboard ). 5. This wonderful 

scene took place on Holy Thursday night. The next 
day He was to die on the cross. Let us remember, 
therefore: Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist at the 
Last Supper, the night before He died. (Repeat to - 
gether; use the blackboard ). We will never forget 
this holy night and we will be eternally thankful for it. 

6. Now recall again the sermon of Jesus about the 
wonderful bread from Heaven. The Lord had said: 
“The bread, which I will give you, is My Flesh for the 
life of the world”. And again He had said: “My 
Flesh is meat indeed and My Blood is drink indeed”. 
The Jews did not want to believe that. “How can this 
man give us his flesh to eat?” And now Jesus says: 
“Take ye and eat. This is My Body. Drink ye all of 
this. This is My Blood.” There we have the promise , 
here we have the fulfilment. What will the Jews an¬ 
swer to that? They must be confused and keep silence. 
But suddenly the eyes of the Apostles were opened: 
Yes, thus we are able to eat the Flesh of the Lord and 


INSTITUTION OF HOLY EUCHARIST 287 

drink His Blood. Do you see ? If we believe Christ’s 
words, we will always be right. ( Use the blackboard ). 

7. Let us tarry for a few more moments at the 
Last Supper. Do you know what Jesus gave us that 
holy night? What Christ did on that occasion, that 
the priest continues to do at the Holy Sacrifice of the 
Altar. At the Last Supper was celebrated the First 
Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Jesus said: “Take ye 
and eat; drink ye all of this!” Then the Apostles re¬ 
ceived as food Christ’s Flesh and Blood. That was the 
First Holy Communion. Finally the Lord spoke an¬ 
other great word: “Do this for a commemoration of 
Me.” At that moment the Apostles were made priests. 
That was the First Holy Ordination to the Priesthood. 
And so we have in that holy night a threefold gift of 
love from Christ. How can we ever thank him suffi¬ 
ciently for it! ( Use the blackboard). 

Write on the blackboard: 

1. Paschal Lamb—type of true Paschal Lamb— 
Christ. 

2. Washing of feet—sign of humility—example for 
us—reminder of worthily preparing for Communion. 

3. Institution of Eucharist: 

a) Christ took bread—“This is My Body”; 

b) Christ took wine—“This is My Blood”. 

4. Last Supper—Apostles present—'Holy Thurs¬ 
day night (5). 

6. Promise—“The bread, which I will give,” etc.; 

Fulfilment—“This is My Body,” etc. 

7. Last Supper: a) First Holy Mass; 

b) First Holy Communion; 
o) First Ordination to Priest¬ 
hood. 

Synthesis. What you have heard today you ought 
never to forget. Think of that again and again, when 
you are with Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. 
First Christ celebrated the pasch with His Apostles. 


288 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


How is the paschal lamb a type of the Paschal Lamb, 
Jesus Christ?—Why did Jesus wash the feet of His 
disciples?—When did Christ institute the Holy Eu¬ 
charist?—How did He institute it?—What promise 
was fulfilled at the Last Supper?—What threefold 
gift did we receive at the Last Supper?—( Have the 
pupils read the answers from the Catechism and black¬ 
board. Assign the lesson for the next class.) 

Application. 1. The paschal lamb was a type of 
the Divine Paschal Lamb, Christ. Just compare in 
your Bible History the two pictures: In the Old Tes¬ 
tament we have the celebration of the pasch, in the 
New Testament the institution of the Holy Eucharist. 
What is similar in these pictures ?—In the one picture 
we see in the middle the father of the family, in the 
other picture we see Christ. The father of the family 
has the family gathered about him, Christ has His 
disciples gathered about Him. In the first picture the 
paschal lamb lies upon the table and all eat of it, in 
the other picture are Christ's Body and Blood:— 
therefore the real Divine Paschal Lamb. And all the 
Apostles eat of it. Do you see ? There we see the type, 
here the fulfilment. 

2. On Holy Thursday Jesus gave us the Most Bless¬ 
ed Sacrament. We cannot celebrate the memory of 
this divine gift of love on Holy Thursday. And why 
not?—Holy Thursday is a day of mourning; no joy can 
arise within our hearts. How could we be glad, when 
we think of Christ’s sufferings! Therefore the 
Church has instituted a special feast to honor the Holy 
Eucharist—Corpus Christi. That is a great day of 
joy for us. Then we accompany Jesus in prayer and 
song triumphantly about the Church (and in the 
streets). 

3. Now children, look at this picture! ( Show if 
possible a large colored picture). You see Jesus in the 
midst of His disciples. He is holding bread in His 
venerable hands, and raising His eyes to Heaven, He 


TRANSUBSTANTIATION 289 

is just speaking the sacred words: “This is My Body. 
This is My Blood!” But His disciples are gazing with 
wonder at their Master. Look at this picture and 
sing together the beautiful hymn: ( The catechist will 

assign an appropriate hymn in honor of the Holy 
Eucharist ). 


LESSON XXXIX. 

Transubstantiation. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) What happened when our Lord said: This is 
My Body; this is My Blood? L. XXII, Q. 242. 

2) How was the substance of the bread and wine 
changed into the substance of the Body and Blood of 
Christ? L. XXII, Q. 247. 

3) What is this change of the bread and wine into 
the Body and Blood of our Lord called? L. XXII, Q. 
246. 

4) Did anything remain of the bread and wine 
after the substance had been changed into the Body 
and Blood of the Lord? L. XXII, Q. 244. 

5) What do you mean by the appearances of bread 
and wine? L. XXII, Q. 245. 

6) What is the Holy Eucharist? L. XXII, Q. 238. 

Preparaton. Dear children, let us go in spirit to 
Mount Sion in Jerusalem. A confusion of houses and 
walls and chapels covers the height. A round tower 
stands out prominently, a Turkish minaret; for the 
holy mount is in the hands of infidels. We enter 
into the yard through a high door, which is half walled 
up. We ascend a little stairs and come into a large 
room, fifty feet long and about thirty feet wide. The 
ceiling is held up by two columns. This is the Supper- 
room, though, of course, it is no longer as it formerly 


290 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


used to be. How desecrated and neglected is not that 
sacred sanctuary! How it pains every true Christian 
to the depths of his soul! ( The catechist might show 
the pupils a large picture of the room. A stereopticon 
view is very serviceable also.) You know what a great 
event happened there on the first Holy Thursday night. 
Let us first review this teaching. ( Question the pu¬ 
pils briefly on the preceding lesson). 

At the Last Supper occurred the First Holy Sacri¬ 
fice of the Mass, and also the First Holy Consecration. 
Then a wonderful change took place. Just think of 
Moses! At God’s command he approached Pharao and 
said: “Let My people depart !” The king refused, 
saying: “I will not let the people depart!” Then 
Moses threw down his staff upon the ground and it 
became a serpent. Do you see ? From a thing without 
life it became a living thing. That was a wonderful 
change. The staff, or as we may also say, the sub¬ 
stance of the staff, was changed into the serpent, or 
into the substance of the serpent. Do you know of 
any other wonderful changes ?—What happened at the 
wedding feast at Cana?— 

Aim. Now let us look at the change, which took 
place at the first holy Consecration in the Supper-room 
in Jerusalem. It is a great mystery. 

Presentation. Let us first briefly relate again the 
celebration of the Last Supper; then we shall consider 
the mystery of the first holy Consecration. 

Explanation. 1. Now pay strict attention to what 
Jesus said and did. Jesus took into His sacred and 
venerable hands bread, blessed, broke and gave it to His 
disciples with the words: “Take ye and eat. This is 
My Body!” What has Jesus now in His hands?—St. 
Augustine once said: “At the Last Supper Jesus car¬ 
ried Himself in His hands”. So it is. What then did 
the Apostles eat?—Not bread, but rather the Body of 
Christ. You see, therefore, that from bread was made 
something entirely different—Christ’s Sacred Body. 


TRANSUBSTANTIATION 291 

A wonderful change took place then: the bread itself, 
the substance of the bread, was changed into the Body 
of Christ, into the substance of Jesus' Body. What 
happened, therefore, at the moment of holy Consecra¬ 
tion?—When our Lord said: This is My Body, the 
substance of the bread was changed into the substance 
of His Body. ( Repeat together; use the blackboard; 
see the diagram below just above the synthesis ). 

In the same manner Jesus took the chalice of wine, 
blessed and gave it to His disciples, saying: “Drink 
ye all of this. This is My Blood!" What did the 
Apostles now drink?—They did not drink wine, but 
rather the Blood of Christ. You see again, that from 
the wine was made something entirely different— 
Christ's Precious Blood. A wonderful change took 
place at that moment: the wine itself, the substance 
of the wine, was changed into the Blood, the substance 
of the Lord's Blood. When our Lord said: This is 
My Blood, the substance of the wine was changed into 
the substance of His Blood. ( Repeat together; use the 
blackboard ). 

2. But how could from bread and wine be made 
Christ's Body and Blood ? That happened in a mys¬ 
terious manner: the eye could not see it and the mind 
could not understand it. We must humbly believe this 
mystery. We can also easily believe it; for we know: 
“Nothing is impossible with God". This wonderful 
change is a work of the almighty power of God. Let 
us remember then: The substance of the bread and 
wine was changed into the substance of the Body and 
Blood of Christ by His almighty power. ( Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard ). 

Even in nature there are many mysteries. The 
farmer sows his seed. What happens?—Soon it be¬ 
gins to sprout; a little shoot springs up and becomes a 
blade and brings forth fruit. We see that every year. 
Who can explain it ?—That happens in a very myste¬ 
rious manner in the workshop of nature. Or consider 
the vine. It absorbs the rain and changes it into 


292 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


the precious wine. A mystery! We eat and drink. 
What happens to the food and drink?—They are 
changed in us into flesh and blood. Thus there are 
many mysteries in God's nature. If we do not under¬ 
stand even these many natural mysteries, how can we 
understand the great mystery of the holy Consecra¬ 
tion, by which bread and wine are changed into Jesus' 
Body and Blood? Lord Jesus, we believe! 

3. Do you know what we call this wonderful 
change, that takes place in holy Consecration? We 
said, that the bread, or the substance of the bread, 
and the w r ine, or the substance of the wine, are changed 
into the very Body and Blood of Christ, into the sub¬ 
stance of Jesus' Body and Blood. You see, then, that 
there is a change of one thing, or substance, into an¬ 
other thing, or substance. We call this wonderful 
change by the long word “transubstantiation" (use the 
blackboard ). This is a Latin word. It is made up of 
the two words “substantia” (substance) and “trans” 
(into). Therefore it means the change of one sub¬ 
stance into another substance. Our Catechism says: 
This change of the bread and wine into the Body and 
Blood of our Lord is called Transubstantiation. (Re¬ 
peat together; use the blackboard ). 

4. Now I would very much like to know: What 
shape or appearance did the Body and Blood of Christ 
have?—Just suppose, that one of the Apostles, for in¬ 
stance the doubting Thomas, was not present at the 
first holy Consecration, when that wonderful change 
took place. Now he enters the room and also receives 
Holy Communion. The others say to him: “You have 
received the Body and Blood of the Lord”. What do 
you suppose, that he would have answered?—I do not 
believe it; why it was bread and wine! What can you 
say to that ?—The Apostle really did receive the Body 
and Blood of the Lord; but Christ’s Body and Blood 
looked like bread and wine, had the appearance of bread 
and wine. The substance of the bread and wine was 
changed, everything else remained: what the eye sees 


TRANSUBSTANTIATION 


293 


(the form and color), what the hand feels, what the ear 
hears (the breaking of the host), what the taste and 
the smell perceive. All that which the senses per¬ 
ceive, we call for short the appearances. Jesus wanted 
the appearances to remain, for they are the outward 
signs of this holy Sacrament. 

Now you can easily understand the answer of the 
Catechism. After the substance of the bread and wine 
had been changed into the substance of the Body and 
Blood of our Lord there remained only the appearances 
of bread and wine. ( Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board) . 5. By the appearances of bread and wine I 

mean the figure, the color, the taste and whatever ap¬ 
pears to the senses. (Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board). 

6. Now one more question to see, whether you can 
think: What is the Holy Eucharist ?—You have 
already heard: the bread is changed into the true Body 
and the wine is changed into the true Blood of Christ. 
Therefore the Holy Eucharist is the Sacrament , which 
contains the Body and Blood of Christ. In the church 
you see over the tabernacle a large crucifix. Is that 
Christ really and truly?—No, that is only a picture 
of Christ. But in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar 
there is not only a picture of Christ, but Christ is 
really and truly present. Not the dead Christ, but the 
living Christ, with His Body and Blood, with His soul 
and Divinity , as God and as man. Christ is substan¬ 
tially present there. 

But how is Christ there in the Blessed Sacrament? 
—He has not His real appearance, but He is, as it 
were, hidden under strange forms, or appearances: 
Jesus is there under the appearances of bread and 
wine . Yes, the same Jesus, Who as a little child lay 
in the crib, Who tarried with His disciples at the Last 
Supper, Who hung dying on the cross, is really and 
truly and substantially present in the Most Blessed 
Sacrament of the Altar. 


294 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Now let us say the entire answer of the Catechism 
together: The Holy Eucharist is the Sacrament 
which contains the Body and Blood, the soul and Di¬ 
vinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the appearances 
of bread and wine. {Use the blackboard ). 

Write on the blackboard : 

Transubstantiation (3) : 

1. Bread and wine—Christ's Body and Blood. 

2. Change of bread and wine into Christ's Body 
and Blood—a mystery—by God's almighty power. 

4. After transubstantiation—appearances of bread 
and wine. 

5. Appearances—figure, color, taste, smell. 

6. Holy Eucharist—Sacrament containing Christ's 
Body, Blood, Soul, Divinity—under the appearances 
of bread and wine. 

Synthesis. Let us put all that together briefly: The 
Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, or the Holy 
Eucharist, is the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, 
Who is really and truly and substantially present under 
the appearances of bread and wine. What happened 
to the bread, when Jesus spoke over it the words: 
“This is My Body" ?—What happened to the wine, 
when He said over it the words: “This is My Blood"? 
—How did this miracle happen?—What do you call 
this wonderful change ?—After these words of Jesus 
what was left over of the bread and wine?—What do 
you mean by the appearances of bread and wine?— 
What is the Holy Eucharist?—( Have the pupils read 
the answers from the Catechism . Assign the lesson 
for the next class ). 

Application. 1. In the Holy Eucharist are Christ's 
Body and Blood. Immediately before the promise of 
this great Sacrament Jesus in a wonderful manner 
multiplies the bread and feeds the hungry multitudes. 
That was consecrated bread; for Jesus had blessed it. 
Is the Holy Eucharist also only blessed, or consecrated, 


TRANSUBSTANTIATION 295 

bread?—On the feast of St. John, the Apostle, it is the 
custom in certain places to bless wine and to give it to 
the people with the beautiful words: “Drink the love 
of St. John!” Is there also after the Consecration only 
blessed wine in the chalice?—I know of a certain pic¬ 
ture: The priest is standing at the altar and is just 
celebrating the holy Consecration. On the altar 
there is a crucifix; from the wound in Jesus’ side 
there flows a stream of blood into the chalice of the 
priest. What teaching is contained in that picture?— 
After holy Consecration there is in the chalice the 
Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. 

2. But why does Jesus hide Himself in the Blessed 
Sacrament? Why may we not see Him?—For two 
reasons in particular: (a) We ought to believe 
firmly in the Holy Eucharist and thus earn Heaven for 
ourselves. The Apostle Thomas did not want to be¬ 
lieve in the Resurrection of the Lord. He said: “Ex¬ 
cept I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and 
put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my 
hand into His side, I will not believe” (John xx, 25). 
Soon afterwards the Risen Saviour appeared to him 
and said: “Thomas, bring hither thy hand and put 
it into My side!” Then the doubter cried out: “My 
Lord and my God!” But Jesus said to him: “Because 
thou hast seen Me, Thomas, thou hast believed; blessed 
are they that have not seen and have believed”. To 
believe what we see and understand, that is not to be¬ 
lieve; but to believe what we do not see and under¬ 
stand, that will some day bring a reward in Heaven.— 
b) We ought to come to Jesus with childlike trust and 
confidence. Jesus is now transfigured. Now just 
imagine: Suddenly the tabernacle opens and a Sacred 
Host comes forth and becomes bigger and bigger like 
a large white cloud; a wonderful splendor shines forth 
from Jesus. How would we poor sinners feel at that 
sight ? Our hearts would tremble, our eyes would grow 
blind and we could not bear the sight of Jesus. But 
Jesus does not want us to come to Him with fear and 


296 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


trembling, but with childlike trust and confidence. We 
may speak to Him as a friend to a friend, as a child 
to its mother. Therefore Jesus hides himself from our 
eyes. 

3. Jesus is there in the Holy Eucharist. Thus do 
we believe, even though we may not see Him. This 
Faith makes us rich and happy. But we ought to 
awaken this Faith as often as we visit Jesus in the 
Blessed Sacrament. “0 my Jesus! I firmly believe, 
that Thou art present in the Holy Eucharist, with Thy 
Body and Blood, Thy soul and Divinity. In this Faith 
will I live and die. 0 Jesus, increase my Faith!” 
(Practise this prayer with the children ). Let us now 
sing a hymn in honor of the Blessed Sacrament ! 


LESSON XL. 

The Power of Consecration 
Catechetical Unit: 

1) Is there after the Consecration no longer bread 
and wine on the altar? (Deharbe) 

2) Does this change of bread and wine into the 
Body and Blood of Christ continue in the Church ? L. 
XXII, Q. 248. 

3) When did Christ give His priests the power to 
change bread and wine into His Body and Blood ? L. 
XXII, Q. 249. 

4) When do the Bishops and priests exercise this 
power? (Deharbe) 

5) How do the priests exercise this power of chang¬ 
ing bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ? 
L. XXII, Q. 250. 

(N. B. At the bginning of each hour of instruction a hymn in 
honor of the Blessed Sacrament is sung, so that the children 
may be put into the proper disposition). 

Preparation. Dear children, the Saxon Duke, Witte- 
kind, once secretly entered as a beggar into the army 


THE POWER OF CONSECRATION 297 

headquarters of Charles the Great. It just happened 
to be Easter. But he was soon recognized and was led 
to the Emperor. Charles asked him what he had seen. 
Then the pagan answered: “Two days ago I saw you 
sad. I was astonished, for I could not understand 
what a mighty Emperor could be sad about. (It was 
on Good Friday, and the Emperor was mourning over 
the Passion of Christ.) This morning I saw that 
you were still downcast. But when in the church you 
approached the altar, your face beamed with joy. I 
wondered even more, when I noticed, that all, who 
went to the altar, received from the hand of the priest 
a wonderfully beautiful little child. At some the little 
child smiled, but from others he turned away with 
sorrow. But I did not know what that meant.” The 
Emperor replied: “A great grace has been given to 
you; you have seen what none of us, not even the 
priest, was permitted to see.” Soon afterwards Witte- 
kind received Holy Baptism. 

Why did that pagan become converted?—By a mir¬ 
acle he was privileged to see the living Christ Child in 
the Holy Eucharist, and therefore he became a Chris¬ 
tian. You all already know: Christ is really and truly 
and substantially present in the Blessed Sacrament, 
Let us review that teaching. ( Question the pupils 
briefly on the preceding lesson.) 

Jesus Himself celebrated the first holy Consecration. 
Now we priests perform that each day in the Holy 
Mass. Did you ever watch the priest carefully?— 

Aim. I am going to tell you: how the priest per¬ 
forms holy Consecration. Then we shall learn: whence 
the priest has received the power of Consecration. 

Presentation. When the moment of holy Consecra¬ 
tion approaches, a little bell is rung as a sign. 
Everything becomes quiet in the church and all the 
people look towards the altar. The priest takes the 
bread (the Host) into his consecrated hands, raises 
his eyes to the picture of the crucified Christ on the 


298 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


altar, bows his head, to give thanks to God, blesses the 
bread and says over it the sacred words: “Take ye 
and eat. This is My Body.” Then he immediately 
bends his knee in adoration and raises the Sacred Host 
for adoration. The server gives a sign with the little 
bell, and the people make the sign of the cross, strike 
their breast and say: “Hail! Thou true Body of Jesus 
Christ. In deepest reverence we adore Thee. O Jesus, 
for Thee I live! 0 Jesus, for Thee I die! 0 Jesus, I 
am Thine in life and in death!” 

In like manner the priest also takes the chalice with 
wine, gives thanks again, blesses it and speaks over it 
the holy words: “Take and drink ye all of this. For 
this is the chalice of My Blood of the new and eternal 
testament, which shall be shed for you and for many 
unto the remission of sins. As often as you do these 
things, you shall do them in remembrance of Me.” 
Again the priest bends his knee and raises the chalice. 
The little bell sounds again and all the people adore, 
saying: “Hail, Thou precious Blood of Jesus Christ! 
In deepest reverence we adore Thee. 0 Jesus, be 
merciful to me! 0 Jesus, give me Thy grace! O Jesus, 
forgive me my sins!” The holy Consecration is over. 

Explanation. 1. Now I ask: What is on the altar 
after the Consecration? — Before the Consecration 
there was bread and wine on the altar, after the Con¬ 
secration Christ’s Body and Blood are there. For at 
the moment when the priest says: “This is My Body,” 
the bread is changed into Christ’s Body; and when the 
priest says: “This is My Blood,” the wine is changed 
into Christ’s Blood. The bread ceases to be bread and 
the wine ceases to be wine. Of course, what the eye 
sees still seems to be bread and wine; but it is only the 
appearance of bread and wine. Everything is just as 
it was at the first holy Consecration at the Last Sup¬ 
per. That is an important truth, which we believe, but 
do not understand: After the Consecration there is 
on the altar the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ 


THE POWER OF CONSECRATION 299 

under the appearance of bread and wine. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard; see the diagram below 
just above the synthesis.) 

2. You see, therefore, that what Jesus Himself once 
did at the Last Supper, He continues to do in His 
Church through His priests. He changes the bread 
and the wine into His own Body and Blood by speaking 
and acting through His priests, His ministers. This 
change of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of 
Christ continues to be made in the Church by Jesus 
Christ through the ministry of His priests. (Repeat 
together; use the blackboard.) 

3. But you will perhaps wonder, that the priest can 
perform such a great miracle. Where did the priest 
get this power?—Of himself the priest cannot do it; 
for he is only a weak man. Neither is the priest 
worthy to perform the holy Consecration; for he is 
nothing but a poor sinner. This power the priest has 
from Christ. Just recall the words of the Lord, which 
He spoke to His Apostles immeditely after the first 
holy Consecration: “Do this in commemoration of 
Me!” Who can explain those words?—Jesus means 
to say: What I have just done, that you too ought to 
do. I have changed bread and wine: so you also ought 
to change bread and wine. I have given My Body and 
Blood as Communion: so you too ought to give Chris¬ 
tians this food for their souls. Therefore the power of 
changing bread and wine comes from Christ Himself. 
—Christ gave His priests the power to change bread 
and wine into His Body and Blood, when He said to* 
the Apostles: Do this for a commemoration of Me. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

“Do this for a commemoration of Me!”—a few brief 
words, but truly great words! However, with God 
many words are not necessary. God said: “Let there 
be light!” and light was made. Jesus said to the man, 
who lay in his sick-bed for thirty-eight years: “Arise, 
take up thy bed and go into thy house!” and at once 
the poor man arose and was cured. Jesus called into 


300 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


the grave: “Lazarus, come forth!” and the dead man 
arose and lived. So Jesus spoke the short words: “Do 
this in commemoration of Me!”—and the Apostles 
were made priests (and Bishops) and could perform 
holy Consecration. These words were Christ's last 
will and testament; thereby He established all the 
Masses to the end of the world. 

3. Soon the Apostles did what Jesus had commanded 
them: they changed bread and wine and gave Holy 
Communion to the Faithful. But the time came, when 
the Apostles died. Did the power of holy Consecration 
also die with them? — That cannot be. For Jesus 
wanted to leave a memorial of Himself, not only to the 
Apostles, but to all who believe in Him and love Him. 
He made His last will and testament for all times. 
Therefore the Apostles ordained other worthy men to 
be Bishops and priests and gave them the power of 
Consecration. Yes, the power of changing bread and 
wine into Christ's Body and Blood passed from the 
Apostles to the Bishops and priests. (Repeat together.) 

4. Thus has it continued throughout all the cen¬ 
turies; and thus will it continue, until Christ comes 
again. I too have the power of holy Consecration; I 
received that power at my ordination from the Bishop. 
As often as I stand at the altar and celebrate Holy 
Mass, I do what Christ once did. I am there in Christ's 
stead and I speak in His name the holy words: “This 
is My Body—This is My Blood!”—The priests exercise 
this power of changing bread and wine into the Body 
and Blood of Christ through the words of Consecration 
in the Mass, which are the words of Christ: This is My 
Body: This is My Blood. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard.) 

Write on the blackboard: 

1. After Consecration—Christ's Body and Blood. 

2. Consecration continues—by Christ through His 

priests. 


THE POWER OF CONSECRATION 301 


3. Power of Consecration — a) from Christ—“Do 
this,” etc.; b) Bishops and priests; c) in Holy 
Mass. 

Synthesis. What happened once at the Last Supper 
is renewed each day in our churches—holy Consecra¬ 
tion. Did Christ give to His Apostles also the power 
of changing bread and wine?—When?—To whom did 
that power pass?—When do the Bishops and priests 
exercise that power?—What is on the altar after the 
Consecration? — ( Have the pupils read the answers 
from the Catechism and blackboard. Assign the lesson 
for the next class.) 

Application. 1. I show you two pictures: in the one 
you see Christ at the Last Supper, in the other a priest 
at holy Consecration. Compare the two pictures.— 
What Christ once did at the Last Supper that same 
thing the priest does at holy Consecration. There is 
only one difference: Christ performed holy Consecra¬ 
tion by His own power, the priest does it by the power, 
which he has from the Lord Jesus. 

2. Holy Consecration is a very wonderful mystery; 
we cannot understand it. In a little book, which is 
worth its weight in gold—“The Imitation of Christ”— 
we read: “He that meditates too curiously on God's 
Majesty will be crushed by its glory.” Do you under¬ 
stand those words?—If a person looks too long into 
the light of the sun, he becomes blinded; for the eye 
cannot stand the strong bright light. So too if a per¬ 
son looks too long into'the mystery of holy Consecra¬ 
tion, his understanding becomes crushed, as it were; 
he can easily lose the light of Faith. Therefore we read 
further: “Go with a simple and undoubting Faith, and 
with reverence to the Blessed Sacrament. What you 
cannot understand, leave to Almighty God in confi¬ 
dence. He becomes deceived, who believes too much 
of his own powers.” Here again let us excite in our¬ 
selves holy Faith: “0 my Jesus! I firmly believe, that 
Thou art present in the Holy Eucharist, with Thy 


302 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

Body and Blood, Thy Soul and Divinity. In this Faith 
will I live and die. 0 Jesus, increase my Faith!” 

3. The Holy Eucharist has a number of names. 
From now till the next class you ought to think about 
what each name means. 

a) The Sacrament of the Altar: This Sacrament 
is prepared on the altar in Holy Mass, is preserved on 
the altar, is exposed on the altar. 

b) The Most Blessed Sacrament: None of all the 
Sacraments is so holy. In all the other Sacraments 
we receive only the grace of Christ, but in this Sacra¬ 
ment we receive Christ Himself. 

c) The Last Supper: Jesus instituted this Sacra¬ 
ment at the Last Supper and gave it to us on that 
occasion. 

d) The Table of the Lord: Whoever communicates, 
is invited to the table of the Lord. Christ Himself is 
the host and guest of our soul. 

e) Corpus Christi: That means the Body of Christ, 
not the dead Body, of course, but the living Body. 

f) Communion: That comes from the Latin lan¬ 
guage and means “union.” Why? You will hear of 
that later on. 

g) Viaticum: That means: strength or food for 
the journey into eternity—for those who are danger¬ 
ously ill and dying. 

h) Eucharist: That is Greek and means “thanks¬ 
giving.” Jesus thanked God before holy Consecra¬ 
tion. We also ought to thank God, especially after 
Holy Communion. 

i) Bread of Angels: May the Angels perhaps re¬ 
ceive this heavenly bread? No, only we have that 
good fortune. But we ought to be as pure as the 
Angels. 


THE REAL PRESENCE 


303 


LESSON XLI. 

The Real Presence. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) How long does Christ remain present with His 
Sacred Flesh and Blood? (Deharbe) 

2) Is Jesus Christ whole and entire both under the 
form of bread and under the form of wine ? L. XXII, 
Q. 243. 

3) When the priest breaks or divides the Sacred 
Host does he also break or divide the Body of Christ? 
(Deharbe) 

Preparation. Dear children, on a picture over a 
certain altar we see the Apostle Peter. He is just 
celebrating holy Consecration; for from his mouth 
come the words: “This is My Body.” At that moment 
the Infant Jesus comes down from Heaven into the 
Sacred Host. But on the steps of the altar the other 
Apostles are kneeling, and further back men and 
women and children from all countries. Over the 
whole scene an angel soars and is blowing a trumpet. 
From the mouth of the trumpet come the words: “Do 
this for a commemoration of Me !”—What does that 
picture teach?—Holy Mass is the Lord's Supper and 
is to be celebrated each day among all peoples to the 
end of the world. We all know that already; let us 
now repeat it. ( Question the pupils briefly on the pre¬ 
ceding lesson .)—After holy Consecration Christ is on 
the altar. But now the question arises: 

Aim. How long and how is Christ present? Let us 
think about that now. What you will hear is indeed 
truly wonderful and mysterious; we cannot under¬ 
stand it, but we must humbly believe it. 

Presentation. A Mass is just being celebrated, at 
which the children are to receive Holy Communion. 
On the altar next to the chalice there is also the 
ciborium with little hosts. The Offertory is already 


304 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

over. The little bell rings three times for the Sanc- 
tus. The priest prays silently for a while: It is the 
Memento or the remembrance of the living. Then 
again the bell rings—for holy Consecration. The priest 
uncovers the ciborium, takes the large host into his 
hands and speaks the holy words: ‘This is My Body.” 
In the same way he speaks over the chalice the sacred 
words of Consecration: “This is My Blood.” All the 
children adore. Again there follows a silent prayer— 
the Memento or remembrance of the dead. Then the 
priest begins to pray aloud: “Pater noster — Our 
Father.” Immediately after that he takes the Sacred 
Host and breaks it into two parts; but a little particle 
he lets fall into the chalice. Soon the little bell is 
heard for the third time: It is Holy Communion. 

After the Communion of the priest the Communion 
of the children takes place. The children approach the 
Lord's Table devoutly and with folded hands. The 
priest uncovers the ciborium, takes a little Host out 
and shows it to those, who are to communicate, and 
says: “Ecce Agnus Dei—Behold the Lamb of God, that 
taketh away the sins of the world !” Then three times 
in turn he says: “O Lord! I am not worthy, that Thou 
shouldst enter under my roof, but speak the word 
only, and my soul shall be healed!” Then all receive 
Holy Communion. As soon as Holy Communion is 
over, the priest places the ciborium with the remain¬ 
ing Hosts into the tabernacle and locks the little door. 

Explanation. 1 . From the Sanctus to the Commun¬ 
ion is the most sacred part of Holy Mass. Do you 
know why? Jesus is present in Holy Mass from the 
Consecration to the Communion inclusively. But you 
have just heard: After the Communion the ciborium 
with the little Hosts is preserved on the altar. For 
then Jesus really and truly dwells there in the taber¬ 
nacle! So it is. As long as the appearances of a 
Sacred Host are present, so long is Christ present. 
But if the appearances cease, then the presence of 


THE REAL PRESENCE 


305 


Christ also ceases. If a Sacred Host were to burn and 
become ashes, or by being preserved too long, were to 
corrupt, it would no longer be Christ's Body. Let us 
remember, therefore: Christ remains present with 
His Sacred Flesh and Blood as long as the appearances 
of bread and wine continue to exist. (Repeat together; 
use the blackboard; see the diagram below just above 
the synthesis.) 

2. In Holy Mass the priest changes first the bread 
and then the wine. At Holy Communion he receives 
first the Body of Christ and then the Blood of Christ. 
When you go to Holy Communion the priest gives you 
only the Sacred Host; you may not drink from the 
sacred chalice. But are you not thereby the loser? 
Do you not fall short?—The priest receives neither 
more nor less than you. Why? Because in the Sacred 
Host the entire Christ is present with His Flesh and 
Blood, His soul and Divinity, as God and man; it is the 
same Christ, Who is now transfigured in Heaven.—In 
the early Christian ages even little infants were 
allowed to receive Holy Communion. But they did not 
receive the Sacred Host, but rather a few drops from 
the chalice. And yet they received the entire Jesus; 
for Christ is whole and entire; He is not divided. Where 
Christ's Blood is, there also is His Sacred Body. Thus 
does the Church teach. Jesus Christ is whole and 
entire both under the form of bread and under the 
form of wine. ( Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 
That is indeed a great mysery; but it is the truth and 
therefore we believe it. 

3. You have heard, that after the Pater noster the 
priest breaks the Sacred Host into two parts; then he 
also breaks off a little particle and places it into the 
chalice. What might that mean?—The breaking of 
the Sacred Host ought to remind us of the fact, that 
at death Jesus' Body and Soul were divided or separ¬ 
ated. But does not this breaking hurt Jesus? There 
can be no question of any such thing; for the priest 
does not break Christ's Body, but only the appear- 


306 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

ances. Moreover, the glorified Body of Christ can no 
longer feel any pain.—But I have another doubt: Af¬ 
ter the breaking of the Sacred Host is Jesus only half 
present in the sacred Host ? Or is Jesus present only 
in one particle and not in the other ?—No, Jesus is 
present whole and entire in each part of the Sacred 
Host. Thus too does the Catechism say: When the 
priest breaks or divides the Sacred Host , he does not 
break or divide the Body of Christ , but the appearances 
only: the Body of Christ itself is present in each part, 
entire and living , in a true though mysterious manner. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

Christ is whole and entire in the whole Host and 
whole and entire in each part of the Host: that of 
course is above our understanding. But I will try to 
make it a little easier for you to understand. Just 
listen to a parable! Here are three sisters. They are 
coming home hungry from school. The mother takes 
a piece of bread and cuts it into three parts, a small 
piece for each child. The parts are now indeed smaller 
than the whole piece, but each child has bread. When 
the priest breaks the Host, the parts are indeed small¬ 
er, but each part is the Body of Christ.—Another 
example: You have a mirror and look into it; you see 
your face in it. Now I break the mirror into three 
pieces. You look into it and in each piece you see your 
face. If I lay the three pieces together, you see your 
face again, but only once. Now let us apply that to 
the Sacred Host. In the whole Host Christ is present 
whole and entire. The priest breaks the Sacred Host 
into three parts. Now Christ is present in each part, 
whole and entire At Holy Communion the priest eats 
two parts, and yet he receives Christ only once. 

(N. B. The catechist might bring a large host into the 
school and show the breaking of the host in an objective man¬ 
ner. A profanation is not to be feared.) 

Write on the blackboard : 

1. Christ present—as long as the appearances are 
present. 


THE REAL PRESENCE 


307 


2. Christ whole and entire—in each appearance. 

3. Christ whole and entire—in each part. 

Synthesis. What you have heard today is indeed 
something truly wonderful. How long is Christ pres¬ 
ent in the Most Blessed Sacrament? — How long is 
Christ present in Holy Mass? — Is there under the 
appearance of bread only the Body of Christ, and 
under the appearance of wine only His Blood present? 
—When the priest breaks the Sacred Host, does he 
break or divide also Christ's Body ?—( Have the chil¬ 
dren read the answers from the Catechism. Assign 
the lesson for the next class.) 

Application. 1. Christ is present in the Sacrament 
as long as the appearances are present. Do you also 
know now, why a light burns before the tabernacle? 
This light burns night and day and therefore is called 
“the eternal light." It keeps the guard of honor, as it 
were, for Jesus. Once a wonderful star led the three 
holy kings, or wise men, to Bethlehem. It halted over 
a certain house as though it wished to say: The 
Christ-child is here. So now the eternal light an¬ 
nounces: Here in the tabernacle is Jesus, the light of 
the world; come, let us adore Him! 

Do you also know, why we Catholics have such beau¬ 
tiful churches? There are churches, that have cost 
many millions of dollars—the Church of St. Peter at 
Rome, the Cathedral of Milan, the Cathedral of Co¬ 
logne. Is not that a waste of money? No, nothing is 
too beautiful and nothing is too costly for Jesus in the 
Most Blessed Sacrament.—At Holy Mass Jesus is pres¬ 
ent on the altar from the Consecration to the Commun¬ 
ion. Pious Christians pray on their knees during this 
time out of reverence for Jesus. 

2. Christ is ivhole and entire under each appearance. 
Formerly those, who communicated, were allowed to 
drink also from the chalice. Now they are only allowed 
to communicate under one form. Protestants say, that 


308 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


is not right. Why, do you suppose, has the Church 
done away with the chalice for the ordinary faithful? 
—Many Christians were unwilling to drink from a 
common chalice; they had a nausea for that. Then 
also the Precious Blood was often spilled and thereby 
dishonored. But the Church wishes thereby especially 
to profess, that Christ is also present whole and entire 
under one form or appearance. 

3. Christ is whole and entire in each part. Have 
you ever watched the priest at Holy Communion? 
Before he consumes the Precious Blood, he first gath¬ 
ers carefully the little particles with the golden paten 
(plate), those particles, which may have fallen from 
the Sacred Host. Why that care?—In each particle, 
even the smallest ones, Jesus is present whole and 
entire; therefore not a single one may be lost.—Some¬ 
times it happens, that a person, who is dangerously 
ill, cannot swallow any longer. Then the priest does 
not give him an entire Host, but only a small particle; 
but that sick person has received Christ whole and 
entire. 

4. Let us now sing together a hymn in honor of the 
Most Blessed Sacrament! 


LESSON XLII. 

Adoration of the Holy Eucharist. 
(Supplementary) 

Catechetical Unit: 

What does the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the 
Holy Eucharist require us to do? (Deharbe) 

Preparation. Dear children, let us first review the 
last lesson. ( Question the pupils briefly on the fore¬ 
going lesson.) —Jesus Christ is God; therefore we 
adore Him. As the Divine Child lay in the crib, hosts 
of Angels soared down from Heaven and sang to Him 


ADORATION OF HOLY EUCHARIST 309 

their songs of praise. Soon the pious shepherds came 
from the distant fields; they too knelt down and adored 
the beautiful, heavenly Child. Later on the three wise 
men came from the East; they fell down before that 
Child and adored Him. What did the Apostle Thomas 
do, when the risen Saviour appeared to him?—He also 
fell at Jesus’ feet and called out to Him in adoration: 
“My Lord and My God!” When Christ will come 
some day as Judge, all the peoples will fall down before 
Him and adore Him. Wherever Jesus is, there we 
must adore and honor Him. But you know: Jesus is 
present really and truly and substantially in the Holy 
Eucharist. Therefore we owe Jesus in the Holy 
Eucharist adoration and honor. 

Aim. That is what I would like to show you today 
a little more in detail: how we ought to honor and 
adore Jesus in the Holy Eucharist .—Rudolph of Haps- 
burg was a noble, knightly prince. But he was also 
a pious Christian and a great venerator of the Holy 
Eucharist. A very beautiful poem is related about 
him. The poet Schiller has composed that story in 
verse. Listen! 

Presentation. 

Forth to the chase a Hero rode, 

To hunt the bounding chamois-deer; 

With shaft and horn the squire behind;— 
Through greensward meads the riders wind— 

A small sweet bell they hear. 

Lo, with the Host, a holy man,— 

Before him strides the sacristan, 

And the bell sounds near and near. 

The noble hunter down-inclined, 

His reverent head and soften’d eye, 

And honor’d with a Christian’s mind 
The Christ who loves humility! 

Loud through the pasture, brawls and raves 


310 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

A brook—the rains had fed the waves, 

And torrents from the hill. 

His sandal shoon the priest unbound, 

And laid the Host upon the ground, 

And neared the swollen rill! 

“What wouldst thou, priest,” the Count began, 
As marvelling much, he halted there. 

“Sir Count, I seek a dying man, 

Sore—hungering for the heavenly fare. 

The bridge that once its safety gave, 

Rent by the anger of the wave, 

Drifts down the tide below. 

Yet barefoot now, I will not fear 
(The soul that seeks its God, to cheer) 

Through the wild wave to go!” 

He gave that priest the knightly steed, 

He reach’d that priest the lordly reins, 

That he might serve the sick man’s need, 

Nor slight the task that Heaven ordains. 

He took the horse the squire bestrode; 

On to the chase the hunter rode, 

On to the sick the priest! 

And when the morrow’s sun was red, 

The servant of the Saviour led, 

Back to its lord the beast. 

“Now Heaven forfend,” the Hero cried, 

That e’er to chase or battle more 
These limbs the sacred steed bestride 
That once my Maker’s image bore; 

If not a boon allowed to thee, 

Thy Lord and mine its Master be, 

My tribute to the king, 

From whom I hold, as fiefs, since birth, 

Honor, renown, the goods of earth, 

Life and each living thing!” 

(Translated by Edward, Lord Lytton.) 


ADORATION OF HOLY EUCHARIST 311 

Explanation. Did you understand the meaning? A 
priest carries the Holy Eucharist to a sick man. The 
sacristan walks ahead. Then Count Rudolph hears a 
little bell ring. Immediately he interrupts the hunt, 
descends from his horse and uncovers his head. Why ? 
—He does that out of reverence for Jesus in the Most 
Blessed Sacrament. More than that, he bows down to 
the earth. Why does he bend his knee?—To bend the 
knee means to adore. Just recall Moses in the desert! 
When he neared the burning thorn bush, he heard the 
voice of God. Immediately he threw himself upon his 
face. Thus too did Rudolph genuflect before Jesus. 
He was indeed a mighty prince. But he knew that 
before Jesus even the great king is only small and poor 
and sinful; for Jesus is the King of Heaven and earth. 

Immediately after that we see even more clearly 
Rudolph's humble and believing heart. The priest 
was about to wade through the swollen brook. But 
the noble prince would not permit that. At once he 
gave him his horse, so that the dangerously sick man 
might be able to receive the heavenly bread before he 
died. A beautiful service of love! But even more 
beautiful is that which happened the next morning.— 
Filled with gratitude the priest brought the horse 
back to its master. However, Rudolph did not want 
to accept it any more, but gave it as a present to the 
priest for the sacred service. What did he say so 
beautifully?—“Now Heaven forfend, that e'er to chase 
or battle more these limbs the sacred steed bestride, 
that once my Maker's image bore!” Thus does a 
prince honor the Most Blessed Mystery. His example 
ought to be for you too a model for imitation. Let us 
remember, therefore: The Real Presence of Jesus 
Christ in the Holy Eucharist requires us to adore Him 
with the most profound humility and awe , and with 
the most ardent love and gratitude. (Repeat together.) 

Application. Let us apply at once what we have just 
heard. I ask: How ought we to show Jesus in the Holy 
Eucharist our adoration and honor? 


312 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

1. When you come into the church immediately 

greet Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and genuflect rever¬ 
ently. At the same time you might pray quietly: 
“Blessed and praised every moment, be the most holy 
and divine Sacrament!” (Illustrate and 'practise with 

the children.) 

2. During holy Consecration you ought always to 
kneel. At that moment the holy Angels hover about 
the altar and adore the hidden Saviour. Join with 
the Angels and say devoutly: “Hail ! Thou true Body 
of Christ. In deepest reverence I adore Thee. My 
Lord and my God!” 

3. Sometime or other you might happen to know, 
that the priest is carrying the Blessed Sacrament to 
the sick or dying. Then think of the noble Count 
Rudolph of Hapsburg and bend your knee, or at least 
bow your head, and say: “0 Jesus, for Thee I live. 
0 Jesus, for Thee I die. 0 Jesus, I am Thine in life 
and in death!” Jesus will bless you for that. 

4. Each year in our diocese we have what is called 
the service of the “Forty Hours Adoration.” What 
does that mean?—It is a devotion in which for forty 
hours continuous prayer is made before the Blessed 
Sacrament exposed on the altar. Where it is possible 
those prayers are said also during the night. This 
devotion is kept up in a succession of churches, so that 
when it ends in one church it is begun in another, and 
thus it is perpetual, as it were. That is a beautiful 
custom. But for parishioners it is a matter of honor 
to come and adore Jesus, to beg His pardon for sin and 
to satisfy Him for all the dishonor and neglect he has 
to suffer in the Blessed Sacrament. This devotion is a 
picture of and a preparation for the unending adora¬ 
tion of Heaven. In certain convents the holy religious 
have “Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament” 
night and day. What joy that must give to Jesus in 
the Holy Eucharist! 

5. Jesus is always present in the Blessed Sacrament. 
That is a love, of which we are not at all worthy. And 


ADORATION OF HOLY EUCHARIST 313 

yet, there are Christians, who have no love at all for 
Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Christians, who give 
bitter pain to Jesus by their misuse of His Holy Name. 
Many curse so terribly, that one would almost imagine, 
that lightning must come from Heaven and crush 
them. Surely, there is none of you that does that ! 
And if you happen to hear others cursing, give satis¬ 
faction to Jesus for that by humbly praying: “Blessed 
and praised every moment, be the most holy and divine 
Sacrament !” 

6. Just one thing more I want to impress on your 
hearts. You have already received Jesus in Holy 
Communion and rejoice over that blessing. But please 
Jesus and come very often to visit Him. Let there not 
be a single day, in which you do not pay a little visit 
to Him in the Blessed Sacrament! But what should 
you say then? I will tell you now: 

Write on the blackboard: 

Visit to the Holy Eucharist . 

a) Genuflection—“Blessed and praised,” etc. 

b) Sign of the Cross—“O Jesus, for Thee I live,” 
etc. Sign of the Cross. 

c) Faith and Adoration—“0 my Jesus! I firmly 
believe, that Thou art really and truly and substantial¬ 
ly present in the Blessed Sacrament. 0 Jesus, in this 
Faith I will live and die. Increase my Faith!—In 
deepest reverence I adore Thee. 0 Mary, my Mother, 
come and help me pray and adore ! You Angels and 
Saints of Heaven, come and help me adore: “Blessed 
and praised every moment be the most holy and divine 
Sacrament!” 

d) Contrition—“0 Lord, I am not worthy, that 
Thou shouldst enter under my roof, but speak the 
word only, and my soul shall be healed!” (Three 
times). 

e) Desire for Jesus (spiritual Communion) — 
“Jesus, Jesus, come to me!” 

f) Greeting to Mary—“Remember most gracious 


314 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

Advocate, that never was it known, that any one that 
fled to Thee and sought Thy intercession, was left 
unaided. Inspired with this confidence I hasten to 
Thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to Thee do I 
come, before Thee do I stand, sinful and sorrowful. 
0 Mother of the Word made flesh, do not despise my 
petition, but in Thy mercy hear and answer me. 
Amen.” 

g) Sign of the cross—“0 Jesus, for Thee I live,” 
etc. 

h) Genuflection—“Blessed and praised,” etc. 

(Just as soon as the children have learned these prayers by 
heart the catechist ought to lead them to the church and prac¬ 
tise with them in common.) 


LESSON XLIII. 

The Graces of Holy Communion. 
Catechetical Unit: 

1) What is Holy Communion? L. XXIII, Q. 253. 

2) How are we united to Jesus Christ in the Holy 
Eucharist? L. XXIII, Q. 252. 

3) Why did Christ institute the Holy Eucharist? 
L. XXIII, Q. 251. 

Preparation. Dear children, we ought to rejoice 
that our dear Lord is pleased to remain with us in the 
Holy Eucharist. From His throne in the tabernacle 
on the altar He invites us all, saying: “Come to Me, all 
you that labour and are burdened, and I will refresh 
you” (Matt. xi. 28). 0! how we ought to reverence 

and adore Jesus really and truly present in the Holy 
Eucharist! Let us review what we learned of that in 
the last class. (Question the pupils briefly on the 
foregoing lesson .)—When promising us the Holy Eu¬ 
charist Jesus said: “My Flesh is meat indeed and My 
Blood is drink indeed.” He did not, of course, mean 


GRACES OF HOLY COMMUNION 315 

food for the body, but rather food for the soul. When 
Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist He said: “Take 
ye and eat: This is My Body. Drink ye all of this: 
This is My Blood.” Then the Apostles ate the true 
Body of Jesus Christ and drank His real Blood. That 
was the first Holy Communion. Therefore Holy Com¬ 
munion is the receiving of the Body and the Blood of 
Christ. (Repeat together; use the blackboard; see the 
diagram below just above the synthesis .) Christ is 
really and truly and substantially present in the Holy 
Eucharist. Therefore Holy Communion is really and 
truly the receiving of Jesus’ Body and Blood for the 
nourishment of our souls. But there is also a spiritual 
Communion —the desire and longing for Jesus; but 
that is not real Holy Communion. We are not now 
speaking of spiritual Communion, but of the receiving 
of the real Body and Blood of Jesus Christ for the 
nourishment of our souls. 

But dear children, why does Jesus want to give us 
Himself in Holy Communion? Just think of it: The 
All-Holy One comes to a poor sinner! What love! 
Do we need Jesus so badly? 

Aim. That is what I want to teach you today: Why 
Jesus comes into our heart. What graces He brings 
to us in Holy Communion. —But first I will relate to 
you about the First Holy Communion of St. Aloysius. 

Presentation. Aloysius was already twelve years 
old. His heart indeed glowed with love for Jesus in 
the Blessed Sacrament; but as yet he had not been 
allowed to receive Jesus. One day St. Charles Bor- 
romeo, the great Archbishop of Milan, came. Aloysius 
visited him and laid his heart open to him. The Saint 
asked the little boy: “Have you already received your 
First Holy Communion?” The boy replied: “No, but 
I am waiting with longing and desire to receive Holy 
Communion.” “Well then, prepare yourself,” said the 
Bishop,” and I myself will give it to you.” That was 
for Aloysius like a message from Heaven. He could 


316 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


scarcely wait for that day of joy, so great was his 
longing for Jesus. 

Immediately Aloysius began with all zeal to prepare 
himself. He prayed more than usual and visited Jesus 
often in the Blessed Sacrament, and purified his heart 
by a humble and contrite Confession. At last the long 
desired day arrived; it was a happy day for the whole 
family, but most of all for Aloysius himself. The 
great moment was at hand. Piously like an Angel the 
boy approached the Lord’s Table. All, who saw him, 
were deeply moved and edified. But when Aloysius 
had the Lord in his heart, he was as happy as though 
he were already in Heaven. 

Of course, Aloysius still had some bad inclinations 
in his heart; the inclination to follow his own will 
especially caused him much trouble. However, all 
these wicked inclinations became weaker from one 
Holy Communion to another. Greater and greater his 
zeal and love for Jesus grew. His soul was like a 
flower, which under the warm rays of the sun became 
more and more beautiful and sent forth a delightful 
odor. God was his greatest joy and God was pleased 
with him. 

Two years later Aloysius went as a page to the royal 
court of Spain. How easily he might have fallen in 
the midst of the dangers of court life! But there too 
he preserved his innocence as pure as a lily—by the 
power of Holy Communion. Soon afterwards Aloysius 
dedicated his young life entirely to God and became a 
simple, poor brother in a religious order. But the 
tender strength of his life was soon spent. With touch¬ 
ing devotion the Saint received Holy Viaticum. Then 
he waited with joy for death; for he knew: I have 
Jesus in my heart and soon I will be allowed to see 
Jesus in the glory of Heaven! (Show the children a 
large picture of Aloysius’ First Holy Communion.) 

Explanation. 1. Aloysius was all filled with joy 
and happiness at his First Holy Communion. Tell me, 


GRACES OF HOLY COMMUNION 317 

why ?—He knew: Now Jesus dwells in my heart. 
Yes, the little room of his heart was really a little 
kingdom of Heaven. Why then ought he not to feel 
happy! More than that. When we eat food, it is 
changed into our flesh and blood. Whoever receives 
the Sacred Body and Blood of the Lord in Holy Com¬ 
munion, becomes one with Christ; becomes related 
with Jesus, as it were. The Lord Himself has said 
that: “He that eateth My Flesh and drinketh My 
Blood, remains in Me and I in him!” Therefore 
Aloysius was united most closely and intimately with 
Jesus; yes, he could say in all truth: “0 Jesus, Thou 
art mine, and I am Thine!” Or as St. Paul once 
said: “I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me” 
(Gal. ii, 20). That is the first great grace of Holy 
Communion: Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist to 
unite us to Himself and to nourish our soul with His 
divine life. {Repeat together; use the blackboard). 

2. The very word “Communion” tells us that; 
for Communion means union. Our Catechism 
says: We are united to Jesus Christ in the Holy Eu¬ 
charist by means of Holy Communion. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard ). 

3. Jesus is the All-Holy One. Whoever wishes to 
receive Him must also be holy. What therefore did 
Aloysius do on the eve of his First Communion-day ?— 
He purified his heart in the Sacrament of Penance; 
then he went to Holy Communion. Jesus, of course, 
gladly came to him. But Jesus never comes with 
empty hands; He always brings a Communion gift 
with Him. What might that be? Just recall how 
Jesus was once transfigured on Mount Thabor. A 
heavenly ray of light shone through His Body. Moses 
and Elias were also transfigured by that light from 
Heaven. So too it is in Holy Communion. Some of the 
beauty and holiness of Jesus passes over into the soul. 
And by it the soul becomes more beautiful and holy; 
sanctifying grace is increased in the soul. That is 
the second effect of Holy Communion: it increases 


318 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


sanctifying grace in our soul. (Repeat together; use 
the blackboard ). 

Even before his First Holy Communion Aloysius 
was very good and pious. After Holy Communion his 
zeal for God and for all that is good and holy became 
greater and greater. Whatever pleased God—to pray, 
to go to church, to fast, to obey, to study—all this also 
pleased Aloysius. Now whence did he get the strength 
and the love to do these things?—At each Holy Com¬ 
munion Jesus gave him new graces, and so he became 
strong in doing good, in practising virtue.—An ill- 
nourished child is weak and is not inclined or dis¬ 
posed to work; but a well-nourished child is strong 
and loves to work. So too it is in regard to Holy 
Communion. If the soul is fed and nourished again 
and again with Holy Communion, it becomes stronger 
and stronger and gets a greater desire and love to 
work for God and for Heaven. Such a child grows in 
all the virtues. That is the third reason, why Christ 
instituted the Holy Eucharist: to increase all virtues 
in our soul. (Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 

4. Aloysius was already indeed a little Saint. But 
he still had his evil inclinations. To what was he 
especially inclined?—Where there is a stubborn will, 
there one finds it especially hard to obey. But tell me: 
whence come these evil inclinations?—Every child 
brings them with him into this world; they are an evil 
inheritance from our first parents. Of course, these 
evil inclinations are not sins; but they easily lead to 
sin; neither do they die entirely, until we ourselves die. 
But there is an efficacious medicine against this sick¬ 
ness of the soul. You have heard how these evil 
inclinations became weaker and weaker in Aloysius; 
finally he overcame them easily; it was like play for 
him. How was that possible?—Frequent Holy Com¬ 
munion is a very wonderful medicine. That is the 
third reason why Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist: 
to lessen our evil inclinations. (Repeat together; use 
the blackboard ). 


GRACES OF HOLY COMMUNION 319 

5. But Holy Communion has another even greater 
power. Aloysius was at the court of the King of 
Spain for a time. He was a page at the royal court. 
There many dangers threatened him. Many a one had 
already lost his innocence; but Aloysius lived as pure 
as an Angel. The wicked example of his companions 
did not affect his soul at all; the poisonous breath of 
sin did not harm his soul in the least. How was that 
possible? How could he preserve his heart pure from 
mortal sin ?—His means of protection was frequent 
Holy Communion. Now do you suppose, that a person, 
who all during his life had been nourished and fed 
with that wonderful bread from Heaven in Holy Com¬ 
munion, will be buried in Hell?—No indeed; for Holy 
Communion guarantees eternal life to the soul. That 
is the fourth effect of Holy Communion: it is a 
pledge of everlasting life. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard ). Just think again of that woman, whom 
Jesus allowed to touch the hem of His garment. A 
heavenly power streamed forth from Jesus and cured 
her. So also the soul in Holy Communion receives a 
new heavenly power, which will preserve it from mortal 
and even venial sin, and thus make it safe for Heaven. 

6. Most people have a dread and a fear of death. 
Not so Aloysius; he rejoiced at the thought of death. 
But how could he feel happy?—He had often received 
Holy Communion. But Jesus Himself has assured us: 
'‘He that eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Blood, hath 
everlasting life and I will raise him up on the last day”. 
(John vi, 55). Surely that is a very consoling 
promise. Who can explain it?—Jesus promises us 
resurrection and eternal life; and He has given us the 
pledge and guarantee—Himself in Holy Communion. 
Do you now understand the joy of Aloysius at his 
death?—That is the fifth reason why Christ insti¬ 
tuted the Holy Eucharist: to fit our bodies for a 
glorious resurrection. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard ). 

7. Such are the wonderful graces of the Sacrament 


320 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


of the Holy Eucharist, or Holy Communion. No won¬ 
der that Aloysius became a Saint!—But Jesus insti¬ 
tuted the Holy Eucharist for another very important 
reason. Tell me: What happened on the cross on 
Mount Calvary?—Jesus offered His Body and Blood 
as a sacrifice to God for our sakes. Now Jesus wanted 
us always to remember that great sacrifice. He wanted 
that sacrifice to continue in His Church to the end of 
time. But how could that be?—Jesus died only once; 
He could not die again. He Himself told us how that 
could take place. At the Last Supper Jesus spoke the 
words: “Take ye and eat. This is My Body, which 
shall be given for you. Drink ye all of this. This is 
My Blood, which shall be shed for you. Do this in 
commemoration of Me”! Do you see? At the Last 
Supper the first Holy Mass was offered to God, and in 
the Mass Jesus continues the sacrifice of the Cross, as 
we shall see more in detail later on. Meanwhile let 
us remember: Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist 
to continue the sacrifice of the Cross in His Church 4 . 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 

Write on the blackboard: 

1. Holy Communion—the receiving of Jesus’ Body 
and Blood. 

2. The Holy Eucharist: 

Sacrament: a) unites us to Christ and nour¬ 
ishes our soul with Divine life 
(through Holy Communion) ; 

b) increases sanctifying grace and 
all virtues; 

c) lessens our evil inclinations; 

d) is a pledge of everlasting life; 

e) fits our body for a glorious 
resurrection; 

Sacrifice : f) continues the sacrifice of the 

Cross in the Church (through 
Holy Mass). 


GRACES OF HOLY COMMUNION 321 

Synthesis. Great and wonderful are the graces of 
Holy Communion. With what words did Jesus promise 
Holy Communion?—How did Jesus institute Holy 
Communion?—What is Holy Communion?—How does 
the Holy Eucharist unite us with Jesus?—Which are 
the graces of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, or 
Holy Communion?—For what other very important 
reason did Jesus institute the Holy Eucharist?—You 
see, therefore, that the Holy Eucharist is a Sacrament 
(Holy Communion) and a Sacrifice (Holy Mass.) 
{Have the pupils read the answers from the Catechism 
and blackboard. Assign the lesson for next class ). 

Application. 1. Holy Communion unites us most 
intimately with Jesus Christ. —The pious shepherds 
were allowed to look upon the Divine Child and to adore 
Him and rejoiced over it. Old Simeon was permitted 
to take the Child Jesus into his arms and press Him 
to his heart. He was so happy over that, that he 
prayed aloud: “Now dost Thou dismiss Thy servant, 
O Lord, according to Thy word in peace!” John, the 
beloved disciple, was allowed at the Last Supper to 
rest his head on the bosom of Jesus. We may do much 
more than that: we may receive Him into our hearts 
and become one with Him; we may receive Him as our 
food and drink, so that we may grow more and more 
into the image of Jesus. “0 Jesus, for Thee I live. 0 
Jesus, for Thee I die. 0 Jesus, I am Thine in life and 
in death!” 

2. Holy Communion increases sanctifying grace 
and all virtues —What Sacraments have the same 
power?—But none of the other Sacraments increases 
grace so much; for in Holy Communion the Author of 
grace comes into our heart.—Here is a child, that has 
no liking for prayer, for study, for obedience, for kind¬ 
ness. Let that child pray with all its heart at Holy 
Communion. Soon a change will take place. Holy 
Communion makes the weak strong, lazy people dili¬ 
gent in virtue and the Christian life. St. John Chrys- 


322 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


ostom says: “Holy Communion changes those, that 
before were afraid, into lions”. 

3. Holy Communion lessens our evil inclinations .— 
Many a child gets angry at once, is stubborn, disobedi¬ 
ent, is inclined to take things secretly from home or 
even to be immodest—all evil inclinations. Such a 
child is sick in its soul. If it desires to get well, the 
best means is to receive Holy Communion. St. Francis 
of Sales was by nature very angry and passionate; 
however, he became as meek as a lamb. How was that 
possible ?—He himself once told the reason; it became 
possible for him only through Holy Communion. 

4. Holy Communion is a pledge of everlasting life. 
—Enemies once wanted to storm the convent of St. 
Clare. Deadly fear fell upon the whole community of 
nuns. Only Clare remained calm. In her most dire 
need the Saint came out with the Blessed Sacrament in 
her hands and showed it to the enemies. And behold! 
struck with terror, as though overcome by an invisible 
enemy, the infidels took themselves to a hasty flight. 
The Holy Eucharist is the terror of the wicked enemy. 
What will Satan do, if he sees Jesus in our heart? 
Surely he will not dare to harm us. And thus Jesus 
in the Holy Eucharist is the pledge of everlasting life. 

5. Holy Communion fits our bodies for a glomous 
resurrection. —Many a Christian asks anxiously: 
What will happen to me at death? I wonder whether 
I will get to Heaven? Most certainly; just receive 
Holy Communion very frequently in life. Jesus has 
given His word for that. 

6. You will perhaps ask:— How often ought I to 
receive Holy Communion? Jesus did not determine 
that, but only said: “Amen, I say to you: Unless 
you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His 
Blood, you will not have life in you.” What the Church 
demands strictly, you all know.—The early Christians 
went to the Lord's table every day. Our Holy Father 
wishes that also. Therefore come often, very often, at 


UNWORTHY COMMUNION 


323 


least every week or two. Love to come to Jesus in 
Holy Communion, and Jesus will delight to come to 
you; but prepare your hearts like St. Aloysius ! 


LESSON XLIV. 

Unworthy Communion. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) What is necessary to make a good Communion? 
L. XXIII, Q. 254 (first half). 

2) Does he who receives Communion in mortal sin 
receive the Body and Blood of Christ? L.XXIII, Q. 
255. 

4) Does everyone receive in Holy Communion the 
graces it is intended to give? (Deharbe). 

Preparation. Dear children, when promising the 
wonderful bread from Heaven Jesus also said: “He 
that eateth Me, the same also shall live by Me” (John 
vi, 58). Those are golden words indeed. Who can 
explain them?—Jesus means to say: Whoever re¬ 
ceives Me in Holy Communion, will live and remain 
in My grace and some day will live eternally in Heaven. 
Holy Communion is like a divine seed, which is placed 
in the soul and springs up and produces fruit for 
eternal life. You heard of that in the last lesson; let 
us review it. ( Question the pupils briefly on the pre¬ 
ceding lesson ).— 

But now a question: Does Holy Communion always 
work so wonderfully in the soul ? Does every one also 
receive the graces of Holy Communion? Yes, if he 
receives worthily; no, if he communicates unworthily. 

Aim. We are going to learn about that today: 
about an umvorthy Communion. They are serious 
words, which I have to speak to you today; for I 
would not like to see even one of you ever receive 


324 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

Holy Communion unworthily. First I shall tell you 
about an unhappy First Communicant. 

Presentation. The beautiful day of First Holy Com¬ 
munion was come. The sky was clear and the sun 
shone so bright and warm, as though it also wished to 
rejoice with the First Communicants. But for one 
child it was a day of terror. In solemn procession the 
children were led into the church. Joy and happiness 
beamed from every face. Only one child appears 
troubled and downcast. The Holy Sacrifice begins. 
The children pray and sing like Angels. They can 
hardly wait for the hour, when Jesus will enter into 
their heart. The priest preaches a short and fatherly 
instruction. Many parents and children are almost 
moved to tears. Now Holy Communion begins. 

Slowly and reverently the Communicants approach 
the Lord’s table. Already a large number have re¬ 
ceived the Sacred Body of the Lord. When suddenly 
a child at the altar-rail is seen to fall to the floor, as 
soon as it had received the Sacred Host. Some men 
lift up the child: it is stiff and cold like a corpse and 
seemingly without life. They carry the body to a 
nearby house and do all they can, to help the child. 
The priest comes at once to visit the child. He calls it 
by its name, but gets no answer. At last the child 
opens its pale lips and cries out so loud, that all who 
are present hear it: “I have committed a sacrilege. I 
have received Holy Communion unworthily!” Then 
the unhappy child turns to the wall and dies. 

Explanation. 1. Children, would one of you like to 
die like that ?—If so your First Holy Communion-day 
would be the most unhappy day of your life. You 
prefer to receive Holy Communion always like good 
Communicants, do you not? The other children were 
so happy and glad; joy just beamed from their faces. 
They had every reason to rejoice; why?—When Jesus 
dwells with us, our heart is like a little kingdom of 
Heaven, and there Jesus distributes His heavenly gifts. 


UNWORTHY COMMUNION 


325 


But whoever wants to receive these gifts must first 
prepare his heart. But perhaps even among those First 
Communicants there were many, that had grievous 
sins upon their soul; but none of them wanted to 
approach the table of the Lord with sin. What did 
they do, in order to communicate worthily?—First a 
worthy Confession, then a worthy Communion! Re¬ 
member that well: To make a good Communion it is 
necessary to be in the state of sanctifying grace. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard; see the diagram 
below just above the synthesis.) Yes, if we have 
committed a grievous sin, we must make a good Con¬ 
fession before we receive. 

St. Paul says that expressly: “Let a man prove 
himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of 
the chalice” (I Cor. xi, 28). “To prove himself”— 
what does that mean?—The Apostle means: Ex¬ 
amine your conscience thoroughly and if you find a 
grievous sin, first purify your conscience in Holy Con¬ 
fession. Then come and receive the wonderful bread 
from Heaven. The All-Holy and All-Pure One wants 
to enter only into a pure and holy heart. Where 
there is a pure heart, there too is there a worthy 
Communion. But you may not understand that in 
the wrong way. We are really never worthy to re¬ 
ceive the All-Holy One; yes, not even the Angels are 
worthy of that. But if the heart is pure, at least from 
every mortal sin, then Jesus will come with His grace. 
And the purer the heart, the richer the graces. 

2. But what if a person communicates with mor¬ 
tal sin ? One of the children did that. It went indeed 
to Holy Confession with the other children. But 
that foolish child concealed a mortal sin, most likely 
some impure sin. And why?—The child was ashamed 
to tell that sin sincerely. Of course, its conscience 
did not give it any peace; and therefore on the way to 
church it appeared so downcast and disturbed. But 
the blinded child no longer listened to its conscience. 
With mortal sin in its heart that child went to the 


326 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Lord's table and received its First Holy Communion 
unworthily. The Judas act! 

Judas carried about with him in his heart the 
intention of betraying the Lord. Nevertheless he 
went to the Last Supper. He pretended to be all in¬ 
nocent, and even permitted Jesus to wash his feet. 
Once more the dear Saviour warned him: “One of 
you is about to betray Me !” But he asked boldly: 
“Lord, is it I?” The miserable hypocrite! Whoever 
communicates unworthily, does the very same thing. 
Just look at that First Communicant ! It went to the 
Table of the Lord with the other children, just as 
though it were pure and innocent like them; and yet, 
it carried sin in its heart. What hypocrisy! Do you 
see the Judas-act?—Then Judas went out to the gar¬ 
den of olives, approached Jesus and kissed Him, say¬ 
ing: “Hail, Master !” That was a sign of betrayal. 
For he had agreed in advance with Jesus' enemies: 
“He whom I shall kiss, He it is!" Then they fell upon 
Jesus and led Him away to death. Thus did Judas 
do violence to his Master. It is enough to terrify 
one, when one thinks of it. And the First Communi¬ 
cant? Its sin was just like the sin of Judas. Why? 
Jesus gladly enters into a pure heart; but into an 
impure heart He does not want to enter at all. But 
this child was so bold and wicked and compelled Jesus 
to enter into its detestable, sinful heart. Therefore 
it committed a sacrilege—the Judas-act—a terrible 
sin! He who receives Communion in mortal sin re¬ 
ceives the Body and Blood of Christ, but does not re¬ 
ceive His grace, and he commits a great sacrilege. 

(Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 

3. But the punishment followed immediately upon 
the sin. What happened?—Scarcely had the child 
received Holy Communion, when it fell to the floor. 
The Holy of Holies became deadly poison, as it were. 
The child continued to live, as though God wanted to 
give it a last chance of grace. Again a moment of 
consciousness returned. But what must we hear? 


UNWORTHY COMMUNION 327 

The unhappy child speaks its own condemnation: “I 
have committed a sacrilege. I received Holy Com¬ 
munion unworthily knowingly and willingly!” Then 
the child dies in its sins and—one cannot say it with¬ 
out trembling—goes into damnation. That was the 
punishment for an unworthy Communion. He who 
receives Holy Communion unworthily—that is , in the 
state of mortal sin, brings damnation upon himself. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard ). Thus also 
does St. Paul teach: “He that eateth and drinketh 
unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to him¬ 
self.” (I Cor. xi. 29). It is enough to terrify one, 
when one hears these words. What does the Apostle 
mean to say?—He that communicates unworthily and 
dies in that state, does not need the judgment any 
longer: that unworthy Communion is his death sen¬ 
tence to eternal damnation. 

Write on the blackboard: 

1. Before Holy Communion—the state of grace 
(a worthy Confession). 

2. Unworthy Communion—sacrilege—Judas-act. 

3. Unworthy Communion—eternal damnation. 

Synthesis. Holy Communion can bring you an 
eternal blessing or an eternal curse. You see that from 
today's story. Does every one receive with Holy Com¬ 
munion also the graces of Communion ?—What does 
St. Paul say of an unworthy Communion ?—What kind 
of a sin does he commit, who receives unworthily ?— 
What, therefore, must one do before Holy Communion, 
if one has grievous sin ?—What does St. Paul demand 
before Holy Communion ?—( Have the pupils read the 
answers from the Catechism and blackboard. Assign 
the lesson for the next class.) 

Application. 1. Great are the graces of a worthy 
Communion; but terrible are the results of an un¬ 
worthy Communion. Just let us compare the bless- 


328 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


ings of a worthy Communion with the evil conse¬ 
quences of an unworthy Communion.—A worthy Com¬ 
munion unites us most closely with Christ; an un¬ 
worthy Communion unites us with Satan. Of Judas 
it is said: “Satan entered into him” (John xiii, 27). 
Those words are true also of every Judas-soul; Satan 
obtains power over that heart. A worthy Communion 
increases sanctifying grace; an unworthy Communion 
increases God’s displeasure and makes the soul more 
deserving of condemnation in God’s sight. A worthy 
Communion lessens our evil inclinations; an unworthy 
Communion nourishes and increases our evil inclina¬ 
tions. A worthy Communion inclines and strengthens 
the soul for good and for all virtues; an unworthy Com¬ 
munion chokes all those inclinations. A worthy Com¬ 
munion purifies the soul from venial sins and preserves 
the soul against mortal sins; an unworthy Com¬ 
munion burdens the soul with a new mortal sin and 
hardens it in sin. A worthy Communion is a pledge of 
a glorious resurrection and life everlasting; an un¬ 
worthy Communion is a pledge of eternal damnation. 

2. St. Thomas Aquinas once gathered that all to¬ 
gether into a few verses: 

“Good come, bad come, 

Alike have they taken; 

But how different the bread! 

To the evil it becomes punishment and Hell, 

To the good their salvation’s fount, 

To these life, to them death”. 

I ask you, children, what do you want? You have 
the choice: Life or death, Heaven or Hell! You all 
want eternal life, do you not ? If so, resolve at once: 
I will always make a good Confession before Holy 
Communion. But at Holy Communion pray, when 
you have Jesus in your heart: “My Jesus, rather let 
me die than receive Thee unworthily even once in my 
life!” The Divine Saviour said at the Last Supper: 


PREPARATION FOR COMMUNION 329 

“Woe to the man through whom the Son of man is 
betrayed! It were better for him, that he had never 
been bdrn!” Thus too would one have to say of a 
Communicant, who would receive the All-Holy One 
unworthily: Woe to that child! It were better, if it 
had never been born. You do not want that. Let us, 
therefore, pray together (when we visit the Blessed 
Sacrament), that all of you may always receive Holy 
Communion worthily. 


LESSON XLV. 

Preparation for Holy Communion. 
Catechetical Unit: 

1) Is it enough to be free from mortal sin to re¬ 
ceive plentifully the graces of Holy Communion? L. 
XXIII, Q. 256. 

2) Does venial sin also render our Communions un¬ 
worthy? (Deharbe) 

3) What is necessary to make a good Communion? 
L. XXIII, Q. 254 (second half). 

4) What is the fast necessary for Holy Commun¬ 
ion? L. XXIII, Q. 257. 

5) Is any one ever allowed to receive Holy Com¬ 
munion when not fasting? L. XXIII, Q. 258. 

Preparation. Dear children, we learned about the 
evil of an unworthy Communion in the last lesson; 
let us review this. (Question the pupils briefly on the 
preceding lesson ).—When the Bishop comes for Holy 
Confirmation, the church is decorated in festive attire; 
all the bells ring and the choir sings: “Ecce sacredos 
magnus—Behold the High Priest comes!” Reverence 
for the Bishop demands that. When the President 
comes to a city, a festive reception is prepared for 
him. The whole city is bedecked in gala attire; every¬ 
where there are wreathes and flags and decorations. 


330 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Reverence for the President demands that. When 
Christ like a King entered into Jerusalem, all the 
people hastened to meet Him. Many carried palm- 
branches in their hands, others spread their garments 
on the ground and cried out: “Hosanna to the Son 
of David!”—In Holy Communion Jesus comes to you; 
He dwells in your heart. What ought you to do?— 
Body and soul need a festive garment. Reverence 
for the Blessed Sacrament demands that. 

Aim. I must tell you more about that: about the 
preparation for Holy Communion. First I shall tell 
you again about St. Aloysius. 

Presentation. St. Charles Borromeo himself wanted 
to give St. Aloysius his First Holy Communion. But 
first he admonished him: “Prepare your heart!” 
Aloysius carefully obeyed all that the Bishop had 
urged him to do; with redoubled zeal he assisted at 
Holy Mass each day and again and again he prayed: 
“My Jesus, give me grace, to receive Thee worthily !” 
Each day he also made a special visit to Jesus in the 
Blessed Sacrament. The last days before Holy Com¬ 
munion he was almost constantly in thought with 
Jesus in the tabernacle. All his thoughts and speech 
turned about Holy Communion. Finally the happy 
day came. 

Earnestly Aloysius examined his conscience and 
then he went to Confession. He had only a few sins 
and only a few little faults, but he repented of them so 
heartily, that he shed bitter tears over them. On the 
vigil of that day he also for love of Jesus kept a fast; 
he took only a little nourishment, so that he might be 
able to stand the fast the next day. Half the night 
he spent in prayer. His first thought and greeting in 
the morning belonged to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. 
Then he knelt before the crucifix and said his morn¬ 
ing prayers. However, that was not enough for him 
as yet; he also meditated for a whole hour on the 


PREPARATION FOR COMMUNION 331 

love of Jesus in the Holy Sacrament. Now his heart 
was ready to receive the heavenly guest. 

Aloysius put on his best clothing; then he went to 
church with his parents. During the Holy Sacrifice 
he was all devotion. The people imagined, that they 
saw a praying Angel, so lively was his Faith in Jesus’ 
Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. “0 my Jesus! I 
believe in Thee; in deepest reverence I adore Thee. 0 
my Jesus! I hope in Thee and I love Thee. 0 my 
Jesus! I am not worthy; but I am sorry for my sins. 
O my Jesus! Come to me”. Those were his prayers 
before Holy Communion. Now the long desired mo¬ 
ment was come. The All-Holy One entered into the 
heart of the little Saint. Aloysius was happy. 

Explanation. 1. Like Aloysius you also ought to 
prepare your heart. A person in mortal sin must 
confess before Holy Communion; you know that. 
Aloysius had no mortal sin, but only some venial sins. 
He could therefore, quietly have gone to Holy Com¬ 
munion without Confession; for venial sins do not 
make Holy Communion unworthy. (Repeat together.) 
However, he first went to Holy Confession and told all 
to the confessor. And while doing that he was so 
much in earnest and felt so sorrowful at heart, that 
he even had to weep. But tears of sorrow act like a 
second Baptism: they wash the soul clean from sin. 
You see, then, that Aloysius did all he could, in order 
to purify his heart from even the smallest stains of 
sins. That is right. To receive plentifully the graces 
of Holy Communion it is not enough to be free from 
mortal sin, but we should be free from all affection for 
venial sin. (Repeat together; use the blackboard; see 
the diagram below just above the synthesis ). 

But why purify the heart also from venial sins? 
Aloysius did it out of reverence for Jesus. For Jesus 
is the All-Pure One and the Holy of Holies; therefore 
He detests all, even the smallest sin. The Blessed Sac¬ 
rament is preserved in a precious, golden vessel; the 


332 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


heart of the Communicant ought also to be a precious, 
golden vessel. But Aloysius did it also out of love 
for his own soul. For the purer the heart, the richer 
the graces of Holy Communion; the more unclean 
the heart, the less the graces of Holy Communion. 
Remember, then: venial sins diminish the graces , 
which our Communion would otherwise produce. 
(Repeat together). Here it is often like on the sky. 
If the sky is covered with clouds, the sun’s rays can 
not shine through properly; and if the soul is stained 
with sins, the rays of Jesus’ grace cannot break 
through properly. But if the sky is clear and pure, 
there is warm sunshine; and if the soul is free from 
sin, Jesus comes into it with richest graces. 

2. We can learn something more from Aloysius. 
Scarcely had the Bishop promised him Holy Com¬ 
munion, when he was filled with holy zeal. How do we 
know that ?—Each day he assisted at Holy Mass; 
each day he visited Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. 
The nearer the great day approached, the greater was 
his desire for Jesus. He spoke scarcely of anything 
but Holy Communion. And how did he spend the 
night before his First Holy Communion-day?—Do you 
you see ? So great was his zeal. But early in the 
morning he arose and for a whole hour thought of the 
love of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Thus did he try 
to awaken in his heart the proper fervor and devotion. 
But during the celebration of Holy Communion he 
was entirely absorbed in God. That is the proper 
preparation. The Communicant should try to excite 
in his heart sentiments of fervor and devotion. ( Re¬ 
peat together; use the blackboard). 

3. What prayers did Aloysius recite before Holy 
Communion? In the first place he excited himself to 
an act of lively Faith in the Real Presence of Jesus 
in the Holy Eucharist, and then he adored Jesus 
humbly. But no one is pure in the sight of the All- 
Holy One, not even a Saint. Therefore Aloysius 
humbled himself before Jesus and again repented of 


PREPARATION FOR COMMUNION 333 

his sins. But even though we are poor sinners, we 
may, nevertheless, firmly hope, that Jesus will come 
to us with His graces. Aloysius hoped for that too. 
And Jesus will come all the more willingly, the more 
we love and desire Him. Therefore Aloysius prayed 
so fervently: “O my Jesus! I love Thee. 0 my 
Jesus! come to me”. These are the best exercises be¬ 
fore Holy Communion. We should make acts of lively 
faith, of firm hope, and ardent love. {Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard). 

4. You have also heard that Aloysius fasted on 
the eve of his First Communion-day. That is good for 
the body and the soul; but it is not a duty. In the 
evening Aloysius took only a little nourishment, but 
nothing more until after Holy Communion. For the 
Church commands, that before Holy Communion we 
must be fasting perfectly from midnight. Our Cate¬ 
chism says: To make a good Communion it is neces¬ 
sary to be in the state of sanctifying grace and to be 
fasting from midnight. {Repeat together; use the 
blackboard ). 

Consequently it is not allowed to take anything as 
food or drink from the midnight immediatly pre¬ 
ceding Holy Communion. Whoever by mistake or 
through forgetfulness has eaten or drunk anything, 
even though it be ever so little, does not thereby com¬ 
mit sin, but he may not receive Holy Communion that 
day; otherwise his Communion is unworthy—a sac¬ 
rilege. That is necessary as a preparation for the 
body. The fast necessary for Holy Communion is the 
abstaining from midnight from everything which is 
taken as food or drink. {Repeat together; use the 
blackboard ). 

5. Is there any exception to this rule?—Yes; per¬ 
sons who are dangerously ill and who are to receive 
Holy Viaticum are not obliged to observe the fast. 
Generally they are unable to fast; consequently the 
proverb holds good: Necessity knows no law.— Any¬ 
one in danger of death is allowed to receive Holy Com- 


334 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


munion when not fasting. Moreover, the Church is a 
kind Mother; she does not want to hurt us. There¬ 
fore she also allows sick persons, who have been sick for 
a month and who will not get well very soon, to receive 
Holy Communion once or twice a week, even though 
they have taken medicine or a little liquid food before 
Holy Communion. 

6. There is one more thing. Whoever is invited 
to the table of the President, will surely appear clothed 
in his best dress. At Holy Communion we are invited 
to the table of the King of kings. Therefore Aloysius 
appeared in his best Sunday clothing. That also is 
required as a preparation for the body: we must be 
decently dressed. (Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board). Reverence for Jesus demands that much. 
Surely it would be most unbecoming to go to Holy 
Communion in a dirty, soiled dress. But a poor dress 
is not a disgrace. Jesus was also poor, and the poor 
are His special pets, if only they are good. It would 
be just as unbecoming to go to the Lord’s table in a 
vain dress. Why the Saviour would have a real nau¬ 
sea for such a person! Jesus was so humble and also 
wants the Communicant to come to Him humbly, not 
proud and vain. The principal thing is not the dec¬ 
oration of the body, but the beauty of the soul. God 
does not look at the body, but at the soul. 

Write on the blackboard: 

I. Preparation of the soul: 

1. The heart—free from venial sins; 

2. In the heart—fervor and devotion; faith, hope, 
love, desire. 

II. Preparation of the body: 

1. Fasting from midnight—no food or drink; 

2. Decently clothed. 

3. Exceptions to law of fast—sick in danger of 
death. 


PREPARATION FOR COMMUNION 335 

Synthesis. The preparation for Holy Communion 
must be a double one; a preparation of the soul and 
a preparation of the body. What must he do, who is 
in mortal sin?—How else must we prepare the soul? 
—Do venial sins make Communion unworthy?—What 
exercises are the best before Holy Communion?— 
How must we prepare the body?—Are there any ex¬ 
ceptions to the law of fast?—( Have the pupils read 
the answers from the Catechism and blackboard. As- 
sign the lesson for the next class.) 

Application. 1. A Communicant has forgotten a 
sin in Confession.—Afterwards the child thinks of that 
sin. What should it do?—The child should go to Con¬ 
fession again and tell the sin. But it is not absolutely 
necessary to do so. At least it ought to feel sorry for 
that sin and then it may go to Communion quietly. 
Of course the child must tell that sin in the next Con¬ 
fession.—Another Communicant commits a mortal sin 
after Confession.—That child may not go to Com¬ 
munion, but first it must go to Confession again.— 
A third child has omitted several venial sins.—It 
does not need to be disturbed over that, but it ought 
to feel sorry for those sins and then go to Communion 
without any fear. 

2. Before Holy Communion you ought to excite in 
your heart fervent acts of devotion. You might re¬ 
cite the following brief and simple prayers: ( Make 
use of the leaflet : “A Method of Holy Communion”). 

a) Faith and Adoration. “O my Jesus! I firmly 
believe that Thou art really and truly present in the 
Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. In this Faith I will 
live and die. 0 Jesus! increase my Faith. In deep¬ 
est reverence I adore Thee! 0 Mary, my mother, come 

and help me to adore. All you Angels and Saints of 
Heaven come and help me to adore! Blessed and 
praised every moment, be the most holy and divine 
Sacrament!” 


336 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


b) Humility and Contrition. “0 Lord! I am not 
worthy, that Thou shouldst enter under my roof. 0 
Jesus! give me Thy grace. 0 Jesus! be merciful to 
me. 0 Jesus! forgive me my sins!” 

c) Hope , Love and Desire. “A contrite and hum¬ 
ble heart Thou wilt not despise, 0 Jesus!—My Jesus, 
my Lord and my God!—Jesus, Jesus, come to me!” 

These little prayers you can repeat often slowly and 
with attention; for they are a good preparation for 
Holy Communion. As the preparation, so the graces 
of Holy Communion. Begin now to recite them with 
all fervor as Aloysius once did. Jesus is already 
very near and knocks at the heart of each one of you 
and says: “My child give Me thy heart”. 

3. A child about to go to Communion rinses its 
mouth and swallows a drop of water.—A Communi¬ 
cant gets sick; it takes a few peppermints for its 
stomach.—Some one wakes up in the night and drinks 
a little water; in the morning that child does not know 
any more whether it happened before or after mid¬ 
night.—A child gets the nosebleed and swallows some 
of the blood.—A child has taken secretly a little piece 
of candy.—A Communicant asks the priest: “Father, 
I took a little water today; is that a sin?”— 


LESSON XLVI. 

The Rite of Holy Communion. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) How should we approach the altar-rail in order 
to receive Holy Communion? (Deharbe) 

2) What should we do at the time of our receiving 
the Sacred Host? (Deharbe) 

3) What should we do after Holy Communion? L. 
XXIII, Q. 261. 

(N. B. Have the children make use of the leaflet entitled: 
“A Method of Holy Communion ”). 


RITE OF HOLY COMMUNION 


337 


Preparation. Dear children, before God gave the 
Ten Commandments to the people of Israel, He said 
to Moses: “Go to the people and sanctify them today, 
and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments. 
And let them be ready against the third day” (Ex. 
xix, 10s). And so it was done. All the Israelites 
put on their best clothing and prepared for the holy- 
day.—Communion-day is each time a solemn holyday. 
Therefore the Communicant should sanctify himself 
and clothe himself with proper garments. Thus 
should he appear at the Lord's table. Reverence for 
Jesus demands that. We saw that in the last lesson. 
Let us review it first. ( Question the pupils briefly on 
the foregoing lesson ).— 

After having considered the preparation necessary 
for Holy Communion, let us now say a few words 
about the manner of receiving the Blessed Sacrament 
of the Altar. 

Aim. Therefore I shall tell you more in detail now: 
how you ought to conduct yourselves when receiving 
Holy Communion. For it is necessary to have order 
during Holy Communion; reverence for Jesus demands 
that. 

Presentation and Explanation. 

I. Before Holy Communion. 

1. On the day set for Holy Communion, come to 
the church, early, at least a few minutes before Holy 
Mass begins. Bring your prayer-book with you. 
During Holy Mass try to pray and sing with the other 
children as devoutly as the Angels, who pay eternal 
adoration before God’s throne. Read the prayers, 
that you have learned in the last class: the acts of 
faith and adoration, of humility and contrition, of 
hope, love and fervent desire. (Use the blackboard; 
see the diagram below just above the synthesis). 

2. After the priest has received Holy Communion, 


338 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


the Communion of the people takes place. The priest 
unlocks the little tabernacle door and takes out the 
golden ciborium, which contains the Sacred Hosts. 
Meanwhile the altar-boy arranges the Communion- 
cloth (or card) on the altar-rail. Arise and go to 
the altar-rail. But how should you do that?— We 
should approach the altar-rail with the greatest rev¬ 
erence, with hands folded and raised, and with eyes 
cast down. (Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

When directly in front of the altar-rail, genuflect 
with the right knee to the floor in the direction of the 
Blessed Sacrament. Then kneel on the top step. Take 
the Communion-cloth (or card) with both hands firm¬ 
ly, and hold it under the chin in such a way, that it 
forms a little table, so that the Sacred Host may not 
fall to the floor. ( Illustrate!) 

3. Meanwhile the altar-boy recites the Confiteor — 
a public confession of sin. ( Use the blackboard.) 
You might recite it quietly with the altar-boy. At 
least tell God that you are a sinner, no matter what 
form of words you make use of. Then the priest 
faces the people. Twice he begs God's pardon for 
the sins of the people. The first little prayer begins 
like this: “Misereatur —May the almighty God be 
merciful to you, and forgive your sins and lead you 
to eternal life." The second prayer begins with the 
word: “Indulgentiam —May the almighty and merci¬ 
ful God grant you indulgence, absolution and remis¬ 
sion of all your sins!" Confess your sins again to 
Jesus and make the act of contrition. During the 
second prayer the priest makes the sign of the Cross 
over those, who are to receive Holy Communion. All 
should bless themselves at the same time. 

4. Then the priest takes a little Host from the 
ciborium and shows it to the people, saying: “Ecce 
Agnus Dei —Behold the Lamb of God! behold! Who 
taketh away the sins of the world." In the meanwhile 
you ought to look at Jesus with a lively Faith and a 
childlike trust and confidence. Then the priest con- 


RITE OF HOLY COMMUNION 339 

tinues: “Domine non sum dignus —0 Lord I am not 
worthy, that Thou shouldst enter under my roof; but 
speak the word only, and my soul shall be healed!” 
The priest repeats that prayer three times. All the 
people ought to say it with the priest three times and 
strike their breasts humbly and contritely at the same 
time. 

5. While you are waiting to receive Jesus, you 
might recite the following ejaculations with all your 
heart: “O my God! be merciful to me, a sinner. My 
Jesus! have mercy on me. My Jesus! I love Thee 
with my whole heart!” 

II. During Holy Communion. 

6. When your turn comes to receive Holy Com¬ 
munion, raise your head a little, slowly and quietly, 
open your mouth moderately, lay your tongue on your 
under-lip and receive the Sacred Host. You may 
close your eyes, but it is not necessary; however, do 
not look into the priest’s face, but rather directly 
before you, or at the Communion-cloth (or card). 
Remember then: we should spread the Communion- 
cloth (or card) over our hands and under our chin t 
hold the head erect and firm , extend the tongue a 
little upon the under-lip and then most reverently 
receive the Sacred Host. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard.) 

7. The priest gives you Holy Communion with the 
words: “Corpus Domini —May the Body of our Lord 
Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto eternal life!” 
You might say the words in your heart. Do you 
understand their meaning?—Holy Communion is the 
pledge of eternal life. Formerly the priest used to 
say: “The Holy of holies!” 

8. After the priest has placed the Sacred Host 
upon your tongue, draw your tongue back slowly, 
close your mouth, bow your head moderately, and 
swallow the Sacred Host at once. But do not do it 
violently and in such a manner as to attract attention ! 


340 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

If the Sacred Particle should adhere to the roof of 
your mouth, do not touch it with your finger, but 
loosen it quietly with your tongue. Do not use your 
teeth upon the Sacred Body of Christ. If the Host 
should accidently fall upon the floor, let the priest 
pick it up. 

111. After Holy Communion . 

9. After you have received Holy Communion, arise 
quietly, genuflect to the Blessed Sacrament, and re¬ 
turn to your place in the church slowly, with folded 
hands and eyes cast down. Kneel down and begin at 
once to make your thanksgiving. Do not make use of 
your prayer-book at once; rather speak to the Sacred 
Heart of Jesus, heart to heart. The moments im¬ 
mediately after Holy Communion are most precious 
moments of grace, and you ought to make the best 
use of them. Our Catechism says: After Holy Com¬ 
munion we should spend some time in adoring our 
Lord, in thanking Him for the grace we have received, 
and in asking Him for the blessings we need. (Repeat 
together; use the blackboard.) 

If you do not know what prayers to say, just keep 
on repeating over and over again the little ejaculation: 
"My Lord and my God!” Jesus will be pleased with 
your good will. 

10. What prayers might you say in particular?— 
First greet Jesus and adore Him, then thank 
Him; offer yourselves to Him and pledge your love; 
finally pray for blessings. I will show you how. 

a) Greeting and Humility. "Hail! 0 Jesus, my Lord 
and my God. Thou art mine and I am Thine! But 
Who art Thou, and who am I ? Thou art the Lord of 
Heaven and earth, and I am dust and ashes. And yet, 
Thou comest to me. ,) 

b) Adoration. "In deepest reverence I adore Thee. 
0 Mary, my Mother, come and help me to adore! All 
you Angels and Saints, come and help me to adore! 


RITE OF HOLY COMMUNION 341 

Blessed and praised every moment, be the most holy 
and divine Sacrament!” 

c) Thanksgiving. “0 my Jesus! how long I have 
wished for this moment. How I have longed to be 
allowed to receive Thee into my heart! Thanks be to 
Thee, O Jesus! a thousand thanks. I will thank Thee 
with Mary: My soul doth magnify the Lord and my 
heart rejoiceth in God, my Saviour; for He hath done 
great things to me, and holy is His Name !” 

d) Offering. “0 my Jesus! Thou hast given Thy¬ 
self entirely to me. I too will give myself to Thee. 
Accept my body and my soul; accept me whole and 
entire! 0 my Jesus! I am Thine for all eternity.” 

e) Love. “O my Jesus! filled with love Thou hast 
come into my heart. How can I repay Thee this love? 
I can do nothing except love Thee in return. 0 my 
Jesus! I love Thee with all my heart.” 

f) Petition. “0 my Jesus! now listen also to my 
prayers. Thou art with me, O remain with me! Never 
let me be separated from Thee again. Rather die than 
sin! I also pray for my parents, and brothers, and 
sisters, and friends; let them live and die in Thy 
friendship! Grant, that we all may some day be united 
in Heaven, to praise and honor Thee for all eternity!” 

You may add any other prayers you wish from your 
prayer-book. Say especially that prayer, to which 
there is attached a Plenary Indulgence: “Look down 
upon me, good and gentle Jesus!” Add five Our 
Fathers and Hail Marys for the intention of our Holy 
Father and for the good of the Church. Thus ought 
you to thank Jesus after Holy Communion. The dear 
Saviour will surely bless such a Communicant and 
grant him rich graces. 

(N. B. The children ought to be encouraged to recite these 
prayers regularly and thoughtfully after Holy Communion. 
Thus they will have a guide as to how to pray and meditate, 
when Jesus is with them in the Blessed Sacrament. The seed 
will not fall upon unfruitful ground.) 

11. Your thanksgiving after Holy Communion ought 


342 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


to last at least fifteen minutes. That surely is not too 
much for so great a grace. To leave without thanks¬ 
giving after Holy Communion is very irreverent and 
ungrateful. Once St. Philip Neri saw a man, who had 
just communicated, leave the altar-rail at once and go 
out of the church. Quickly he sent two altar-boys 
after that man with burning candles, so that they might 
accompany him. The man was not a little surprised, 
and asked: “What do you want?” The boys replied: 
“Philip has sent us!” Very angrily the man returned 
and asked the Saint what he meant by that. Philip 
replied: “My son, when the Body of the Lord is carried 
to a sick person, a light is carried on ahead; reverence 
for the Lord demands that. You went away at once 
after Holy Communion, while Jesus was still in your 
heart. Therefore it was only proper to send a light 
ahead.” The man must have remembered that lesson 
all his life. You too ought not to forget it. 

Write on the blackboard: 

I. Before Holy Communion. 

a) Acts of faith, adoration, humility, contrition, 

hope, love, desire. 

b) Confession of sin; contrition. Sign of the Cross. 

c) Approach altar-rail reverently, folded hands, 

eyes cast down. 

d) Genuflect, kneel—hold Communion-cloth under 

chin. 

II. During Holy Communion. 

Extend tongue, swallow Sacred Host at once. 

III. After Holy Communion. 

a) Genuflect; return reverently; kneel. 

b) Prayers: greeting, humility, adoration, thanks¬ 

giving, offering, love, petition. 

Synthesis. Now you have all the chief points con¬ 
cerning your conduct while receiving Holy Commun- 


RITE OF HOLY COMMUNION 343 

ion. What prayers ought you to say before Holy Com¬ 
munion?—How ought you to approach the altar-rail? 
—What prayer ought you to say after having received 
Holy Communion? ( Have the pupils read the answers 
from the Catechism and blackboard. Assign the lesson 
for the next class.) 

Application. This instruction has a thoroughly 
practical character. Hence the catechist must lead the 
children into the church and practise everything with 
them: the prayers, the approach to the Lord's table, 
the genuflections, the conduct during the reception of 
Holy Communion and the return from the altar-rail. 
Only then will there be order and edification. 


LESSON XLVII. 

Admonition After Holy Communion. 
Catechetical Unit: 

1) How can we retain the blessings of Holy Com¬ 
munion ? (Deharbe.) 

2) When are we bound to receive Holy Communion? 
L. XXIII, Q. 259. 

3) Is it well to receive Holy Communion often? 
L. XXIII, Q. 260. 

Preparation. Dear children, every good Christian 
child ought to know how to conduct itself during Holy 
Communion. We learned of that in the last lesson; 
let us first review it briefly. ( Question the pupils on 
the preceding lesson.) —At Christmas the Christ Child 
comes only with His gifts; but in Holy Communion 
the Christ Child really comes to you: your heart be¬ 
comes a little crib of Jesus. Surely that is a beautiful 
occasion. 

Did you ever hear of the mighty Emperor Napoleon? 
Once he sat at a joyous dinner with his officers, in order 
to celebrate a victory. Suddenly a young officer hit 


344 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


upon a remarkable idea. Each one of the guests was 
to mention which was the most beautiful day of his 
life. One mentioned this, another that. Now the 
Emperor’s turn came. Napoleon was serious and 
thoughtful. Then a general said: “Your Majesty is 
surely in a predicament; for your life is rich in beauti¬ 
ful days.” “0 no!” said the Emperor; “I know well 
the most beautiful day of my life. Just guess!” Each 
one mentioned a different day of victory. “No,” said 
the Emperor; “it is none of these. The most beautiful 
day of my life is the day of my First Holy Communion.” 
The officers were astonished. But one grey haired 
general was deeply touched by the words of the Em¬ 
peror and wiped a tear from his eyes. Napoleon ex¬ 
tended his hand to that man and said: “My brave fel¬ 
low, very good indeed! You alone understand me. 
I am happy, that at least one among you understands 
me.” 

Yes, that was indeed a beautiful day, really the most 
beautiful day of your life, dear children. For when 
Jesus came to you for the first time in Holy Commun¬ 
ion, He made you rich and happy in your soul. But 
I wonder whether it will always remain like that? 
Will you always retain the happiness and blessings of 
your First Communion-day ? You will retain them, if 
you do what I say: 

Aim. Always continue to be faithful adorers of the 
Blessed Sacrament! That is what I am going to tell 
you. 

Presentation and Explanation. 1. a) A certain little 
child used often to come to the dear Saviour in the 
church. There it could pray so very piously and fer¬ 
vently. But it had only one sorrow in its heart: “Now 
I have been praying so long and yet, I have never seen 
the dear Saviour!” And what does that little child do 
in its holy impatience? It takes a footstool, climbs 
upon the table of the altar, raps quietly on the taber¬ 
nacle door, and asks timidly: “My Jesus, art Thou 


ADMONITION AFTER COMMUNION 345 

there?” But in the tabernacle all remains quiet and 
silent; no answer, as though the dear Saviour had not 
heard the question at all. ( Show the pupils a large 
picture of this scene.) 

Children, you do not have to ask: “My Jesus, art 
Thou there?” You have heard it in the Communion 
instructions and you believe firmly: Jesus is really and 
truly present in the Blessed Sacrament! Christ, the 
eternal Truth, has said so Himself. 0 preserve this 
Faith always in your hearts! Believe firmly that Jesus 
is in the Blessed Sacrament! (Repeat together; use 
the blackboard; see the diagram below just above the 
synthesis.) 

Do you know what is able to weaken that Faith in 
your hearts, or what can rob you of it entirely? Sin, 
and especially impure sins. All of you have already 
seen a fountain. Bright and clear like crystal the 
water bubbles forth from the ground; and if the sun 
shines into the water, one can see every little pebble 
lying at the bottom of the fountain. But if I stir up 
the water, it becomes cloudy, and I no longer see any¬ 
thing. So too it is in our heart. If the heart is pure, 
the bright sunshine of grace is there; then it is easy 
to believe. Then you like to believe in Jesus in the 
Blessed Sacrament. But if your heart is unclean with 
the filth of sin, it will be hard for you to believe; yes, 
you can easily entirely lose your Faith in Jesus in the 
Holy Eucharist. And if your Faith is lost, then all is 
lost, lost forever. 

b) But why is Jesus with us there? He does not 
need us. No one can compel Him to remain with us. 
Only love urges Him to be near us always. But how 
do men return His love? Most of them leave Him 
alone and do not want to come to Him. That hurts 
the dear Saviour severely. Once He complained of 
His Heart's sorrow to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque: 
“If only men would return My love with love. But 
they are so cold and indifferent; and if I invite them 
to come they do not listen to Me and despise Me.” 


346 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Children, do you also want to be so unkind ? Do you 
also want to be so ungrateful? No, you do not want 
to be so ungrateful. No, you do not want to be like 
that. Well then, visit Jesus gladly each day, at least 
for a few moments; surely that is not too much. The 
good Saviour loves to see children so much and wants 
ever so much to bless you. Therefore love to visit 
Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament! (Repeat together; 
use the blackboard.) —St. Aloysius was accustomed 
each time on his way to school first to enter the church 
and to greet Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. St. 
Francis Xavier, the great Apostle of the heathens, 
was often so tired from preaching and working, that 
he could no longer speak and he could scarcely move 
his hands and feet. Then he loved most of all to enter 
the church and spend the entire night with Jesus in 
prayer. There be obtained new strength again, in 
order to work for God and for souls. 

c) Aloysius used to go to Holy Communion each 
Sunday. Then his preparation used to last three days: 
on Thursday he prayed to the Father, on Friday to 
the Son, and on Saturday to the Holy Ghost for the 
grace of a worthy Communion. Then he made his act 
of thanksgiving: on Monday he thanked the Father, 
on Tuesday the Son, on Wednesday the Holy Ghost for 
the great grace of Holy Communion. Thus the whole 
week was for him a prayer and a thanksgiving. Hence 
I can easily realize, that Aloysius became such a great 
Saint. I can easily understand, that he lived like “an 
Angel in the flesh.” The strength for that he obtained 
from the great Sacrament, which “brings forth souls 
as pure as Virgins.” 

Like Aloysius also St. Francis de Sales used to act. 
At the age of eleven years he was permitted to receive 
his First Holy Communion. Then he used to go to the 
Lord’s table every first Sunday of the month, later on 
oftener, and finally every week. He continued that 
practise even when a student at Paris. People used 
to ask: “Why do you go to Holy Communion so often?” 


ADMONITION AFTER COMMUNION 347 

But he answered: “Do you not know? I speak often 
with my teachers, because I can learn from them many 
things. But Jesus is the Teacher of the science of the 
Saints. I go to Him, because I want to learn from 
Him how to become a Saint. For of what use is all 
learning and wisdom, if I do not also become holy?” 
Do you see? Receive Jesus often in Holy Communion! 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

Children, you also must become holy; for in Heaven 
there are only Saints. Therefore receive Jesus often 
in Holy Communion! Do not forget these three things: 
Believe firmly in Jesus in the Holy Sacrament! Love 
to visit Jesus in the Holy Sacrament! Receive Jesus 
often in the Holy Sacrament! Preserve these three 
precious jewels and you will not easily go astray from 
the path to Heaven. 

2. a) But not all people are as wise and loving as 
St. Aloysius or St. Francis de Sales. Indeed many do 
not have much Faith in Jesus in the Blessed Sacra¬ 
ment. Many never think of visiting the Lord Jesus 
in His house. Many come to Holy Communion only 
once a year, and many alas! even less frequently. 
Yes, some would not go to Holy Communion for years, 
if the Church did not remind them of this duty by a 
special Commandment. Therefore the Church has 
given us the fourth Commandment, which says: Re¬ 
ceive the Holy Eucharist during the Easter time! 
This Commandment binds all Christians under pain 
of mortal sin; and this duty begins just as soon as we 
have attained the use of reason and have been properly 
instructed in the meaning of the Blessed Sacrament. 
Our Catechism says: We are bound to receive Holy 
Communion, under pain of mortal sin, during the 
Easter time. (Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

b) There is one other time, when every Christian, 
that has the use of reason, must receive Holy Com¬ 
munion, under pain of mortal sin. Do you know that 
occasion? It is when one is in danger of death. Then 
surely we need the special help of Jesus; for then the 


348 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

devil makes his last great fight to get possession of 
the soul. Then every one feels great temptations 
arise within him. But how can we overcome these 
temptations and keep our strength, God’s holy grace, 
in our soul, for that last great journey into eternity? 
The Church has told us how. By receiving Holy Com¬ 
munion, the food and the strength of our soul. There¬ 
fore our Catechism says: We are bound to receive Holy 
Communion when in danger of death. (Repeat togeth¬ 
er; use the blackboard.) 

Jesus Himself has told us: “Amen, amen, I say to 
you: Except you eat the Flesh of the Son of man and 
drink His Blood, you shall not have life in you” (John 
vi, 54). We get this life, indeed, in Holy Baptism, 
when we are born again as children of God; but we 
cannot preserve this life without eating and drinking 
the Body and Blood of Jesus, the spiritual food of our 
soul. Jesus did not indeed tell us precisely how often 
we must eat this heavenly food; He left His Church to 
decide that. And the Church has told us in the fourth 
Commandment, as we just learned. 

3. But children, that is the very least that every 
Christian must do, if he wishes to remain a faithful 
child of God and the Church. A true child of God 
and His holy Church will not be satisfied with receiv¬ 
ing Holy Communion in the Easter time and when in 
danger of death. That is clear enough. Think of 
Aloysius and of all of God’s most faithful and loving 
children! They loved to receive Jesus often, as often 
as possible, in Holy Communion. Our Holy Father, 
Pope Pius X, “the Pope of the Blessed Sacrament” as 
he is so lovingly called, because of his fervor and 
devotion for Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, has told us 
when we should receive Jesus in Holy Communion. 
He wants us to come frequently, every day if possible, 
to the Lord’s table. All that we need is: 1) the state 
of grace , freedom from mortal sin; and 2) the right 
intention, we must go to the Lord’s table, not out of 
routine or vain glory or human respect, but for the 


ADMONITION AFTER COMMUNION 349 

purpose of pleasing God, of becoming more closely 
united with Him in love, and of obtaining the divine 
remedy for our weaknesses and defects. And can you 
not fulfil those two conditions easily ? Yes, there is 
not a single child that is not able to keep from mortal 
sin and come to Jesus with the right intention. And 
therefore every one of you can receive Jesus as often 
as you wish—every month, every week, every day, if 
you will. 

If you go frequently to the Lord’s table you will 
easily be able to lead a holy life, for in Holy Com¬ 
munion you receive the very Author of all grace and 
the Source of all good. Remember then it is well to 
receive Holy Communion often, as nothing is a greater 
aid to a holy life than often to receive the Author of 
all grace and the Source of all good. (Repeat together; 
use the blackboard.) 

Write on the blackboard: 

1. a) Believe firmly in Jesus in the Holy Sacrament! 

b) Love to visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament! 

c) Receive Jesus often in the Blessed Sacrament! 

2. We must , under pain of mortal sin, receive Holy 

Communion: 

a) during the Easter time; 

b) when in danger of death. 

3. We ought to receive Holy Communion—often, 

even daily. 

Synthesis. What I have told you today is very im¬ 
portant for all of you, without any exception whatso¬ 
ever. Let us review it. How can we retain the hap¬ 
piness of our First Holy Communion-day ?—How 
often must we receive Holy Communion, under pain of 
mortal sin ?—How often should we receive Holy Com¬ 
munion ?—Why ?— (Have the pupils read the answers 
from the Catechism and blackboard. Assign the les¬ 
son for the next class.) 


350 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

Application. 1. One day when Simon of Montford . 
was busily engaged in the duties of his daily life, a 
person in great haste came to him, saying: “Oh, come 
to the church and see the wonderful thing, that has 
taken place there; Jesus Christ is present in the Holy 
Sacrament in a visible manner. Oh, come and see how 
wonderful He is!” Simon answered: “No, I will not 
go; let those go who have any doubts about His ador¬ 
able presence in this great Sacrament. As for me, I 
have no need of any miracle to strengthen my Faith, 
for I firmly believe that Jesus is there, and nothing, 
not even a miracle, could make my Faith any 
stronger.” Children, do you also firmly believe in 
Jesus in the Holy Sacrament ? Oh ! never weaken 
that glorious Faith. 

2. There lived, not long ago, at Ars, in France, a 
very poor man, who could not read, and who had to 
labor all day for the support of himself and his little 
family. But his heart was full of love for Jesus in the 
adorable Sacrament. Whether going to his work or 
returning from it, never did that good man pass the 
church door without entering to adore our Lord. He 
would leave his tools at the door, and remain for a 
short while sitting or kneeling before the tabernacle. 
The priest, who watched him with great delight, could 
never see the slightest movement of the lips. Being 
surprised at this, he said to him one day: “My good 
father, what do you say to our Lord in these visits you 
pay Him every day?” “I say nothing to Him,” was 
the answer; “I look at Him and He looks at me.” Oh! 
what simple, beautiful Faith! Children, are you going 
to visit Jesus often, at least for a few moments, in 
the Holy Sacrament? 

3. When St. Stanislaus was about sixteen years old 
he became very ill, and thinking that he was about to 
die, he asked the master of the house in which he 
lodged to go for the priest, that he might receive the 
Last Sacraments before he died. But the man, who 
was a heretic, would not do this. Stanislaus was 


ADMONITION AFTER COMMUNION 351 

grieved beyond measure, and seeing that he could not 
obtain his request from this man, he had recourse to 
the Saints, and prayed to St. Barbara, the patroness 
of a happy death, that she would obtain for him the 
grace of receiving the Sacraments before he died. 
His prayer was heard, for God sent two Angels from 
Heaven to give him Holy Communion. Children, how 
easy for you to receive Holy Communion often! What 
do you promise to do in this matter? Resolve to 
come to Holy Communion at least once a week! 

4. After Holy Communion you have prayed: “I 
live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me!” Therefore 
Jesus lives in you! But children, for God’s sake! do 
not commit any mortal sins any more; otherwise Jesus 
must die again in your hearts! Children, how long is 
Jesus to live in your hearts? Only a few days?—No! 
Until your next Communion?—No! Only until you 
must die?—No! Jesus ought to live in you, and you 
in Him—forever! 





V. 

EXTREME UNCTION. 





EXTREME UNCTION 


353 


LESSON XLVIII. 

Extreme Unction—A Sacrament. 
Catechetical Unit: 

1) Whence do we know that the Sacrament of Ex¬ 
treme Unction was instituted by Christ? (Deharbe) 

2) What is the outward sign of Extreme Unction? 
(Deharbe) 

3) What is the Sacrament of Extreme Unction? L. 
XXV, Q. 271. 

4) Who is the minister of Extreme Unction? L. 
XXV, Q. 277. 

Preparation. Dear children, while our Divine Sav¬ 
iour was still on earth, He was a special friend of the 
poor sick. He comforted them lovingly and raised 
them up and healed many in a wonderful manner. You 
know examples enough of that from the Bible History. 
—To the man, who lay sick for thirty-eight years, He 
spoke the consoling words: “Arise, take up thy bed 
and go into thy house.” A centurion (captain) had a 
sick servant. Jesus said: “Go, be it done as thou hast 
believed.” And in that same hour the sick servant 
was cured. Once there was a woman in the midst of a 
crowd. She touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. At 
that moment a wonderful power streamed through her 
and she was healed. At another time ten lepers came 
to Jesus and called out beseechingly: “Jesus, Master, 
have mercy on us!” And they all were cured and made 
well. 

Jesus no longer dwells visibly on earth. But He has 
not left the poor sick helpless. He has cared for them 
very lovingly. He has left behind for us a saving 
means, a help for body and soul, the holy Sacrament of 
Extreme Unction. 

Aim. We are now going to learn of that in the three 
following lessons. Today I am going to show you: 
Extreme Unction is a true Sacrament. 


354 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

Presentation. There will always be sick people. 
And especially the sick need most of all consolation 
and help. Jesus knew that very well. Therefore He 
commanded His Apostles, saying: “Is any man sick 
among you, let him bring in the priests of the Church, 
and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil 
in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of Faith 
shall save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him 
up, and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him/' 
Our Divine Saviour even gave His Apostles the power 
of working miracles. Just recall how Peter and John 
once went into the temple to pray. At the gate of the 
temple sat a man, who had been born lame and was 
begging an alms. Peter said: “Gold and silver I have 
not; but what I have, that I give thee: In the name 
of Jesus Christ rise and walk!” Then the man jumped 
up and walked and praised God. The Apostles faith¬ 
fully carried out the command of their Divine Master; 
they visited the sick and many were made well again. 

The Apostles are dead. But the Holy Unction did 
not therefore cease. What the Apostles did at the 
command of Christ, the priests have always done. If 
there was a sick man anywhere, they went to him, 
prayed over him and anointed him with oil in the name 
of the Lord. We have proofs of that in every century. 
Thus Pope Innocent I (who died 411) admonishes: 
“The sick are to be anointed with the holy oil of 
chrism.” Pope Gregory the Great (about the year 
600) prescribed very exactly, how the oil of the sick 
is to be consecrated and Holy Unction administered. 
Later on the holy Council of Trent even solemnly 
defined: “Extreme Unction is a true Sacrament insti¬ 
tuted by our Lord Jesus Christ” (Sess. xiv). 

As it was in the days of the Apostles and as 
it always has been in all times, so it is now. If a 
believing Christian becomes dangerously ill, the priest 
is called in. The priest goes and hears the Confession 
of the sick person, gives him Holy Communion and 
administers to him Extreme Unction. He anoints the 


EXTREME UNCTION 


355 


five senses of the sick person and prays at the same 
time: “Through this Holy Unction, and His most 
tender mercy, may the Lord forgive thee whatever 
faults thou hast committed by sight (hearing, smell, 
taste, touch, walking).” When finally the last hour 
approaches, the priest assists the dying person and 
prays, that his soul may enter into eternity. 

Explanation. 1. Extreme Unction is from Christ. 
Protestants do not believe that. But we believe it. 
Protestants say: There is nothing about that in the 
Bible; therefore it is not from Christ. That is true; 
the Sacred Scriptures do not say anything about when 
Christ instituted Extreme Unction. But this much is 
absolutely certain—that the Apostles had Extreme 
Unction. We know that from St. James. He 
wrote a letter (an epistle), and in it we read: “Is any 
man sick among you, let him bring in the priests of 
the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing 
him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer 
of Faith shall save the sick man, and the Lord shall 
raise him up, and if he be in sins, they shall be for¬ 
given him” (v, 14, 15). 

Therefore there can be no doubt, that the 
Apostles administered Extreme Unction. From whom 
did they get the Sacrament?—Evidently from Christ. 
For St. James says expressly: “Let the priests pray 
over the sick man and anoint him with oil in the name 
of the Lord” And again he says: “The Lord shall 
raise him up, and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven 
him.” Whence does the Apostle know that? To raise 
up and to forgive sins—God alone can do that. There¬ 
fore Christ has instituted the Sacrament of Extreme 
Unction. We know that the Sacrament of Extreme 
Unction was instituted by Christ from the Holy Scrip¬ 
ture. (Repeat together; use the blackboard; see the 
diagram below just above the synthesis.) 

2. But even though there was nothing at all in the 
Holy Scripture about that, we would, nevertheless, 


356 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

know very definitely, that Extreme Unction is from 
Christ. If outside I see traces of men’s feet in the 
freshly fallen snow, what do I know at once?—That 
someone has passed by; for otherwise the footprints 
would not be there. But now we find the traces of 
Extreme Unction through all the centuries up to the 
Apostles; what follows from that? — Evidently Ex¬ 
treme Unction must be from Christ Himself. We have 
already heard some of these proofs.— 

Listen to another voice! Venerable Bede lived in 
the eighth century (he died 735) ; he writes: “The 
custom is still in the Church that her priests anoint 
the sick with consecrated oil.” In the East there are 
Christians, who already in the first centuries separat¬ 
ed from Holy Mother Church; and yet, they also have 
Extreme Unction. Therefore even in those days 
Extreme Unction was in use. For these hostile breth¬ 
ren surely would not have accepted it any more later 
on. Moreover, the Church has solemnly declared: 
“Extreme Unction is a true Sacrament.” That is 
enough for us. What the Church teaches, is always 
the truth; for through her mouth the Holy Ghost 
speaks, the Spirit of truth.—Yes, Christ has instituted 
Extreme Unction: we know that from the constant 
teaching of the Church. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard.) 

3. How does the priest administer Extreme Unc¬ 
tion ?—St. James tells us that: “Let the priests 
pray over the sick man and anoint him with oil.” That 
takes place outwardly, visibly. Therefore we call the 
prayer of the priest and the anointing with oil the 
outward sign of this Sacrament. The outward sign of 
Extreme Unction is the prayer of the priest and the 
anointing of the sick man with holy oil. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard.) 

4. The priest anoints the five senses of the sick 
man, who is in danger of death. What do you suppose 
is the reason for that ?—Through the senses evil enters 
into the heart; the senses are, as it were, the instru- 


EXTREME UNCTION 


357 


ments of sin. Just think of how much evil is done by 
means of the eyes, of the ears! All that evil is to be 
satisfied for again by means of the holy anointing and 
the mercy of God. Therefore the priest prays: 
“Through this Holy Unction and His most tender 
mercy, may the Lord forgive thee whatever faults 
thou hast committed by sight, hearing!”—At each 
anointing the priest makes the sign of the cross; for 
from the cross of Christ comes all mercy and all sal¬ 
vation. Then too the person who is dangerously ill 
ought to be made interiorly strong against the devil, 
especially for the death-struggle. But Satan fears 
nothing as much as the cross; for on the cross his 
power was broken and destroyed. Yes, sometimes God 
even gives strength and health to the body of the per¬ 
son in danger of death from sickness. Such are the 
great blessings and graces that come from the Sacra¬ 
ment of Extreme Unction. ( Use the blackboard , add¬ 
ing No. 3 and 4.) 

5. Now you can easily answer the question: What is 
Extreme Unction ?—Extreme Unction is the Sacrament 
which, through the anointing and prayer of the priest, 
gives health and strength to the soul, and sometimes 
to the body, when we are in danger of death from sick¬ 
ness. ( Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

6. The oil, which is used in anointing the sick per¬ 
son, is called the oil of the infirm (the sick). It is 
prepared from olives, the fruit of the olive tree. The 
Bishop himself consecrates this oil solemnly on Holy 
Thursday. In it there is a beautiful and deep mean¬ 
ing. On Holy Thursday Jesus went into the garden 
of olives, and there the death agony came upon Him. 
But the heavenly Father sent an Angel, to comfort 
and strengthen Him. When the danger of death and 
the death agony seize upon the Christian, the dear 
God also sends His angel, the priest, to comfort and 
strengthen the sick man through Extreme Unction. 
There is, as it were, a grace from the death agony of 
Christ in the holy Sacrament of Unction. Who then 


358 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

is the minister of this Sacrament?— The priest is the 
minister of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. 

(Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

Write on the blackboard : 

Extreme Unction : 

1 . Sacrament — Holy Scripture, teaching of the 

Church. 

2. Outward sign—prayer and anointing with oil. 

3. Effects—health and strength of soul, sometimes 

of body. 

4. For those in danger of death through sickness. 

5. Minister—the priest. 

Synthesis. The Catholic Church has always pos¬ 
sessed seven Sacraments; to these belongs also Ex¬ 
treme Unction. Therefore it is from Christ. How do 
we know that?—What does St. James say about Ex¬ 
treme Unction ?—When did the Church solemnly de¬ 
clare Extreme Unction to be a Sacrament?—How does 
the priest administer Extreme Unction ?—What is the 
outward sign of this Sacrament?—What prayer does 
the priest say then?—Who administers Extreme Unc¬ 
tion?—What are the effects of Extreme Unction for 
soul and body?—What is Extreme Unction?— (Have 
the pupils read the answers from the Catechism and 
the blackboard. Assign the lesson for the next class.) 

Application. 1 . Extreme Unction is a true Sacra¬ 
ment. We believe that and are thankful for it. How 
badly does not a person, who is dangerously ill, need 
help in the last extremity! But God has so kindly 
provided for these poor mortals. Here we see again 
very plainly, that God wants to get us into Heaven at 
any cost. How many would be lost, if it were not for 
Extreme Unction! Therefore Extreme Unction is a 
great grace. You ought to pray for this grace often 
and fervently. Do it especially each Thursday, so that 
God may also send to you His angel, the priest, some 
day, when you are in danger of death. 


GRACES OF EXTREME UNCTION 359 

2. The priest anoints the five senses of the sick per¬ 
son. God has given us the five senses for good, but 
many misuse them for sin. Does your conscience not 
reproach you at all in this regard? Did you never 
look at evil? listen to it? speak it? Did you never do 
evil with your hands? Did you never run after evil? 
Remember well: the more you misuse your senses for 
evil, the more will your conscience oppress you some 
day at the hour of death. Do you want that? “O 
merciful God! pardon me, for having so often mis¬ 
used my senses. Henceforth they are to be con¬ 
secrated to Thy service alone.” 


LESSON XLIX. 

The Graces of Extreme Unction. 
Catechetical Unit: 

1) Which are the effects of the Sacrament of Ex¬ 
treme Unction? L. XXV, Q. 274. 

2) What do you mean by the remains of sin? L. 
XXV, Q. 275. 

Preparation. Dear children, Jesus tells of a man, 
who while on the way from Jerusalem to Jericho fell 
among robbers. They struck him, took away every¬ 
thing from him, and left him lying half-dead by the 
wayside. A priest, who happened along, saw him and 
passed by; likewise a levite (a servant of the temple). 
But a Samaritan saw the poor man lying in his blood 
and felt sympathy for him. He poured oil and wine 
into his wounds, brought him to the nearest inn and 
cared for him. 

Just so poor and miserable does a dangerously sick 
person, too, lie there, often all covered with wounds.— 
I mean the wounds of the soul, sin. Then a Good 
Samaritan happens along and pours oil into his wounds. 
—The priest administers Extreme Unction to the sick 


360 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

person. We have already heard: Extreme Unction is 
a true Sacrament. Let us first review this. (Question 
the pupils briefly on the preceding lesson.) 

Did you ever see a person, who was dangerously ill 
or dying? What does such a poor person need?— 
What he needs, that he receives: help for body and 
soul. What does St. James say?— 

Aim. You are going to hear of that today: What 
effects Extreme Unction produces. What graces a per¬ 
son dangerously ill receives. First I will tell you a 
story from life. 

Presentation. A young man was dangerously ill. 
The sickness grew worse continually. The fever had 
almost consumed his last life's strength. The doctor, 
too, declared: “No help is possible here any longer; by 
tomorrow he must die." He became unconscious 
from time to time. In his feverish dreams the 
young man saw terrible pictures. It seemed to him, 
as though he was lying among nothing but dead per¬ 
sons. Then again the sins of his youth appeared so 
vividly before his eyes, as though they had happened 
only today. And a secret voice whispered to him: 
“You did all those things! I wonder: Will God pardon 
you ?" The death agony laid hold of him. 

Well-meaning friends called the young man’s atten¬ 
tion to his danger. At once he had the priest called. 
He confessed as well as he could; but in the midst of 
his Confession he lost consciousness. Finally all was 
happily over. Devoutly he received Holy Viaticum 
and then Extreme Unction. Now he was quiet and 
comforted; suddenly, as it were, his fear disappeared. 
He was also prepared to die and prayed: “0 God, if 
it is Thy will, I too will gladly die." Really it seemed 
as though his life were about to be extinguished; for 
his heart beat grew weaker and weaker. 

Morning dawned. But behold! suddenly things be¬ 
came easier; new strength of life returned into that 
mortally sick body. The doctor was all astonished and 


GRACES OF EXTREME UNCTION 361 

declared: “The danger is over; his life is saved!” It 
took only a few more weeks and the sick man arose 
again and was cured. But that young man wanted to 
be grateful to God, because He had given him his life 
for the second time. He consecrated himself to the 
service of the Lord and became a priest, and in imita¬ 
tion of the Divine Friend of children, he became a 
special friend of children. Today he still continues 
to work and labor for the salvation of immortal souls. 

Explanation. There you see plainly the power of 
Extreme Unction. Let us ask first of all: What does 
Extreme Unction do for the soul? (Use the black¬ 
board; see the diagram below just above the syn¬ 
thesis.) 

1. This young man was in danger of death. Then 
he had the priest called. Why?—He wanted to go to 
Confession and thus prepare himself for death. What 
does Penance effect?—Penance acts like a wonderful 
bath and cleanses the soul from sin. If sanctifying 
grace was lost before, the young man obtained it in 
Penance again. Then he also received Holy Viaticum. 
What does Holy Communion effect?—Thus grace was 
increased in his soul. Finally the young man, who 
was dangerously ill, also received Extreme Unction. 
What happened then in his soul?—His soul became 
more beautiful in God’s eyes; for Extreme Unction 
increases sanctifying grace. (Repeat together; use 
the blackboard.) 

But that is not all. Jesus Christ instituted the 
Sacrament of Extreme Unction especially to help 
those, who are dangerously ill. Therefore that young 
man received special graces. Let us now see what 
they are. 

2. A person, who is seriously sick, must generally 
also suffer a great deal. So it was with the young 
man of our story. He had no rest day and night. The 
fever burned within him like a fire. It is not so easy 
to remain patient in the midst of such pains. Then to 


362 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

these bodily pains there were added sufferings of soul. 
Just look at that young man! What did he have to 
suffer interiorly?—Terrible pictures of the imagina¬ 
tion tortured his soul. The vision of his sins made 
him afraid. No wonder, then, that a deadly fear laid 
hold of him. Those were indeed severe temptations. 
Where do you suppose they came from?—It was the 
spirit of darkness, who tortured and tormented the 
poor soul like that. And generally these temptations 
become more violent in the death struggle, when the 
soul gradually tears itself loose from the body. For 
the tempter knows very well, that now is the decisive 
moment! The soul belongs either to God or to me. 
You see now how sick and weak the soul is in that 
dread hour. 

But after Extreme Unction suddenly the sick man 
became quiet, very peaceful. For St. James says: 
“The Lord will raise him up.” Do you see the power 
of this Sacrament? It excited in that young man a 
great confidence or trust in the mercy of God. It 
strengthened him to bear more easily the pains of 
sickness and to resist more easily the temptations of 
the devil. Extreme Unction comforts us in the pains 
of sickness and strengthens us against temptations. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard.) That is the 
first great effect of this Sacrament: it heals and 
strengthens the soul; it heals the soul perfectly and 
prepares it to enter immediately into Heaven. 

3. The young man was ready at once to confess and 
wanted to make a good Confession. But, I wonder 
whether he was still able to examine his conscience 
well? You know, that the penitent ought to think 
earnestly over his sins. But that is almost impossible 
for one who is seriously ill. Must the poor soul there¬ 
fore go to Purgatory for a long time? How disquiet¬ 
ing and fearful would not that be for a dying person! 
But it is not so. Extreme Unction has the power of 
purifying the soul from venial sins. That is the second 


GRACES OF EXTREME UNCTION 363 

grace: Extreme Unction remits venial sins. (Repeat 
together; use the blackboard.) 

4. Yes more than that! Perhaps the young man 
also had mortal sins on his conscience. Now suddenly 
he became unconscious and had to interrupt the Con¬ 
fession. How sad, if he had to die like that! For you 
all know, that eternal death attaches to mortal sin. 
But that young man had already repented of his sins 
and then he also received Extreme Unction. But Ex¬ 
treme Unction holds good for, takes the place of, Pen¬ 
ance, in case of necessity. We cannot be grateful 
enough for that to the good God; for otherwise thou¬ 
sands would be lost forever. But how do we know 
that?—St. James has said so expressly: “If he be in 
sins, they shall be forgiven him.” That is especially 
consoling: Extreme Unction also remits those mortal 
sins, which the sick person can no more confess. ( Re¬ 
peat together; use the blackboard.) 

5. If the sin is forgiven, is then all else also forgiv¬ 
en?—No, generally also some of the temporal punish¬ 
ments remain. But Extreme Unction removes these 
remains of sin. Would that young man then have 
entered Heaven at once after death?—I do not know; 
that depends particularly upon his contrition.—When 
sin is forgiven, generally something else also remains. 
Within the heart there burns a mysterious fire— an 
inclination to sin, a weakness of the will, which is due 
to our past sins and which makes the last battle with 
the powers of darkness more difficult. All this is left 
over, remains, in the soul, even after the sin itself has 
been forgiven. We call this the “remains of sin.” 
By the remains of sin I mean the inclination to evill 
and the weakness of the will, which are the result of 
our sins, and which remain after our sins have been 
forgiven. (Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

6. Now by means of Extreme Unction this fire of 
our evil inclination and this weakness of the will are 
lessened, yes, at times they are extinguished entirely. 


364 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Many a sick and dying person has lost all inclination 
to sin. Thus you see, that Extreme Unction heals the 
soul perfectly and prepares it for Heaven. Our Cate¬ 
chism says: Extreme Unction cleanses our soul from 
the remains of sin. (Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board) . 

Extreme Unction does all that for the welfare of the 
soul . But this Sacrament is also for the body. Let 
us therefore now ask: What does Extreme Unction 
do for the body? 

7. The condition of the young man of our story be¬ 
came worse and worse; the danger was at its height. 
Even the doctor thought that the young man would 
not live till morning. But what happened?—During 
the night the sickness eased up and the danger of death 
was over. Extreme Unction did that. One can often 
notice that in the case of sick persons: Extreme 
Unction relieves the pains of the sick person. “The 
Lord will raise him up”, says St. Janies; that holds 
also for the body. But the sickness not only was re¬ 
lieved, in a short while the sick person was well again. 
Without Extreme Unction he would, most likely, have 
died. Indeed it happens frequently, that this Sacra¬ 
ment even restores health. Where no man is able to 
help any more, there God can help. But to what will 
God always look?—Do you see? Later on that young 
man became a priest and as a priest he can do much 
good for his own soul’s salvation and for the salvation 
of the souls of children and grown ups. God foresaw 
that and therefore he restored health again to that sick 
man. But if God foresees, that a sick man will fall 
into mortal sins or even lose his soul, He permits him 
to die. Thus it is best for his soul’s welfare. Re¬ 
member then: Extreme Unction restores us to health, 
when God sees fit. ( Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board) . 


GRACES OF EXTREME UNCTION 365 
Write on the blackboard: 

Extreme Unction : 

Increases sanctifying grace—gives special (sacra¬ 
mental) graces: 

I. To the 
soul 


II. To the 
body 

Remains of sin : temporal punishments; inclination 
to evil; weakness of will due to sin. 

Synthesis. A person seriously ill and dying needs 
help for body and soul. Today we saw: Extreme 
Unction is that Sacrament, which gives health and 
strength to the soul, and sometimes to the body, when 
we are in danger of death from sickness. What does 
Extreme Unction do for the welfare of the soul?—In 
what cases is Extreme Unction without effect?—What 
does this Sacrament do for the welfare of the body? 
—What does St. James say of the graces of Extreme 
Unction? What do you mean by the remains of sin? 
— (Have the pupils read the answers from the Cate¬ 
chism and blackboard. Assign the lesson for the next 
class). 

Application. 1. Once a priest was called to a dying 
person. The man lay there unconscious. What was 
to be done? The priest gave him absolution and then 
Extreme Unction. Later on this man's wife said: 
“Now Father, it is just as though he had received all 
the Sacraments, is it not?"—Do you think so too?— 
There can be no question of that. Extreme Unction 
can indeed take the place of Confession in case of ne- 


a) comforts us in the pains of sickness 
and strengthens us against tempta¬ 
tion ; 

b) remits venial sins; (mortal sins) 

c) cleanses us from the remains of sin; 

r d) relieves the pains of the sick; 

| e) restores to health, when God sees 
fit. 



366 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


cessity; but it can never replace Contrition. You knew 
that long ago: Contrition is so necessary, that it can¬ 
not be supplied by anything in any case whatsoever. 
If the poor sick person had mortal sins and no contri¬ 
tion, Extreme Unction was without effect and he was 
hopelessly lost. There you see again, how important 
sanctifying grace is and how carefully you ought to 
preserve it in your heart. Only no mortal sin! 

2. A Saint was about to die. When he had received 
Extreme Unction and heard the words: “By Thy cross 
and sufferings, O Lord, redeem us!”, he repeated them 
three times and said: “Yes, Thy cross and sufferings, 
O Lord ! are my hope. In this hope I will die.” 
Already the end was at hand. Suddenly his face be¬ 
came very serious and he cried out: “Yes, great is the 
power of Hell,, but greater still is the power of the 
Crucified One !” But after a while he was filled with 
joy and said: “Now I have conquered completely. 
Now I resign myself entirely to the mercy of God !” 
His countenance became transfigured, a lovely smile 
played about his mouth, and quietly and peacefully he 
breathed forth his soul.—You understand the words of 
the Saint, do you not ? Extreme Unction is the com¬ 
fort and the strength of the dying. 


LESSON L. 

The Reception of Extreme Unction. 
Catechetical Unit: 

1) . When should we receive Extreme Unction ? L 
XXV, Q. 272. 

2) How should we receive the Sacrament of Extreme 
Unction? L. XXV, Q. 276. 

3) Should we wait until we are in extreme danger 
before we receive Extreme Unction ? L. XXV, Q. 273. 

Preparation. Dear children, when St. Eleazar was 


RECEPTION OF EXTREME UNCTION 367 

at the point of death, suddenly his features became all 
distorted and he complained: “Oh, the wicked enemy 
is torturing me terribly and does not give me any rest!” 
Immediately he received Extreme Unction. Then sud¬ 
denly he became very quiet and happy, all his fear 
and anxiety were gone. What graces does Extreme 
Unction produce? We heard of that in the last class. 
Let us review it. ( Question the pupils briefly on the 
foregoing lesson) —What Sacraments does a person, 
who is dangerously ill, receive?—Penance, Viaticum 
and Extreme Unction. We call these “the Last Sacra¬ 
ments”. Who of you was present, when a sick person 
was being prepared for death ? What can you tell me 
about that?— 

Aim. Now I am going to tell you: how a sick person 
ought to prepare himself and how he ought to receive 
the Last Sacraments. 

Presentation. A father lay sick abed for a long 
time. He continually imagined that things were get¬ 
ting better; but they were always getting worse. One 
day the doctor said: “It is time for him to receive the 
Last Sacraments; for it will not last much longer”. 
Mother and children became very sad at the thought: 
“Soon we shall not have any father any more”. But 
the mother was a strong Christian woman. She took 
heart and said: “See, dear father, things are not get¬ 
ting any better. I think, that you ought to prepare to 
receive the Last Sacraments. But you will not have 
to die on that account”. The father was, of course, a 
little surprised. But quickly he controlled himself 
again and said: “I am satisfied. I have lived as a 
good Catholic and I will also die as a good Catholic”. 
During that day he prayed a great deal and examined 
his conscience. In the evening the priest came, in order 
to hear his Confession. After that the father was very 
happy and said: “Now I can be quiet. I made a 
General Confession; everything is in order”. The fol¬ 
lowing night things were much better than they had 


368 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


been for a long time. For a good conscience makes a 
soft pillow. 

As soon as he awoke early the next morning, he 
began to prepare himself. The mother provided fresh 
linen, arranged a little house altar and decorated it with 
fresh flowers. “For today our Lord is coming into our 
house; therefore everything must be clean and 
orderly”. Now all was prepared. The priest came 
with the Blessed Sacrament. First he prayed with the 
sick man: “Oh my God! I believe in Thee, eternal 
truth. In this Faith I will live and die. 0 my God! 
I hope in Thee, infinite mercy. In this hope I will live 
and die. 0 my God! I love Thee, the highest good. 
In this love I will live and die. 0 my God! I com¬ 
mend myself entirely to Thy will. If it is Thy will, 
that I should live longer, Thy holy will be done. If it 
is Thy will, that I should suffer longer, Thy holy will 
be done ! If it is Thy will, that I should die, Thy holy 
will be done.” Thereupon the sick man received Holy 
Viaticum, Extreme Unction and finally the Apostolic 
Blessing or the Indulgence for the dying. 

All was over. It lasted only a few more days, then 
the father lost consciousness and after a few hours he 
passed away. The mother and children wept bitterly 
over their father. But they had the consolation: 
“Father died well. We will see him again”. 

Explanation. 1. This father had been sick for a 
long time. Why did he not receive Extreme Unction 
at once ?—Does not St. James say: “Is any man sick 
among you, let him call in the priest of the Church ?” 
—The sickness was not dangerous as yet. When there 
is no danger to life, one may not receive Extreme 
Unction. You know, of course, that Extreme Unction 
is the Sacrament for those who are dangerously ill. 

Neither may every one, who is dangerously ill, re¬ 
ceive Extreme Unction. Once a mother begged a priest 
to come to her child, who was dangerously sick. The 
priest went. The child was only a few months old. 


RECEPTION OF EXTREME UNCTION 369 

He prayed over the child and blessed it and went away 
again. Soon afterwards the child died. Did that 
priest do the right thing?—A little child cannot sin as 
yet; therefore it does not need Extreme Unction. But 
when a child is about seven years of age, the case is 
different. If one says to such a child: “You may not 
do that; the heavenly Father will be angry !” the child 
understands that well enough. That child can distin¬ 
guish between good and bad; it has the use of its rea¬ 
son. Such a child is already able to sin. Therefore it 
may and ought to receive Extreme Unction. Remem¬ 
ber then: Every Catholic, who has come to the use of 
reason, and is in danger of death by sickness, or 
a wound or an accident, may and ought to 
receive Extreme Unction. Our Catechism says: We 
should receive Extreme Unction when we are in danger 
of de,ath from sickness, or from a wound or accident. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard; see the diagram 
below just above the synthesis ). 

2. That sick father died well, because he had pre¬ 
pared himself well for death. What was his first care, 
when he became aware of the danger?—He called for 
a priest, in order to confess. That was right; for 
we should receive the Sacrament of Extreme Unction 
in the state of grace. (Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board) . But most probably the sick man feared, that 
perhaps everything of his former life was not in 
order. And yet he wanted to be absolutely certain of 
all. Therefore he made a General Confession of his 
whole life. That is to be recommended to every sick 
person, if he has not attended to that before. To die 
without having made a General Confession is a dan¬ 
gerous matter. How easily is it not possible, that the 
former Confessions were defective! How often the 
right kind of contrition and the good resolution of 
amendment is wanting! That ought to be made good 
at least on one's death-bed. If it does not take place 
then, it will never take place. Then the sins will fol¬ 
low the dying person over into eternity. However, 


370 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


the sick man should follow the advice of the priest; he 
knows what is best. 

But what, if the dangerously sick person is no longer 
able to confess? What if, for example, his tongue is 
paralyzed ? Of if he must fear, lest he lose conscious¬ 
ness before the priest arrives? What must he do in 
that case?—The sick person ought immediately to ex¬ 
cite himself to a hearty act of contrition, if possible 
to an act of contrition of holy love (perfect contrition). 
Of course, contrition of holy fear (imperfect contri¬ 
tion) suffices also. You already know: Extreme 
Unction can supply for Confession in case of necessity, 
—but never without contrition. Remember therefore: 
We are to receive Extreme Unction in the state of 
grace; wherefore we must previously, if possible, con¬ 
fess our sins; or, at least, make an act of perfect con¬ 
trition. (Repeat together; use the blackboard). 

3. The priest had already appeared with the Blessed 
Sacrament. Before Holy Viaticum and Extreme 
Unction he prayed with the sick man the acts of Faith, 
Hope and Charity. (Use the blackboard). But why 
just the acts of the three Divine Virtues?—The dying 
man has nothing more to hope for from men, he is in 
God's hands entirely. Therefore he ought to hold 
fast to God by Faith, Hope and Charity. For what he 
believes, he is soon to see—God face to face. What he 
hopes for, he is soon to possess—heavenly happiness. 
What he loves, he is soon to love for eternity—the 
triune God. 

Because only God can help in the last extremity, 
therefore the dying person ought to resign himself 
entirely to God's will. How did the priest pray for 
the sick man?—Thus also did the Saviour pray in His 
death agony: “Father, not My will be done, but 
Thine!" Christ is the model for the dying. The 
Christian ought to accept the bitter chalice of death and 
drink it for love of God and as penance for his sins. 
We should receive the Sacrament of Extreme Unction 


RECEPTION OF EXTREME UNCTION 371 

with lively Faith and resignation to the will of God. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard ). 

4. The father did not suspect at all, how badly 
matters were with him. The mother called his atten¬ 
tion to the danger. But there are people, who do not 
dare to say anything; they think that the sick person 
will get frightened. That is not kind, but rather 
cruel and unscrupulous. How sad, if the sick person 
has to die without the Sacraments! And what a re¬ 
proach for one's entire life, if some one had to say of 
himself: Through my fault father or mother died 
without the Last Sacraments! The sick father was 
ready at once for the Last Sacraments. He was as 
yet in his right senses: he could still pray and ex¬ 
amine his conscience, feel sorry for his sins and con¬ 
fess and thus prepare himself for the Last Sacra¬ 
ments properly. That is the proper time. We should 
not wait until we are in extreme danger before we re¬ 
ceive Extreme Unction, but if possible we should receive 
it while we have the use of our senses. ( Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard ). 

Write on the blackboard : 

1. Who receives Extreme Unction? 

One dangerously ill through sickness, wound or 

accident. 

2. How is Extreme Unction to be received? 

a) state of grace—Confession—contrition; 

b) Acts of Faith, Hope, Charity, resignation 
to God’s will; 

c) while we have use of our senses—after Holy 
Viaticum (3). 

Synthesis. You know the graces of Holy Unction 
Now you also know, how the sick person ought to pre¬ 
pare himself, in order to receive the grace of Extreme 
Unction. Who can and ought to receive Extreme 
Unction?—How ought the sick person to receive this 
Sacrament?—When ought we to receive the Sacra- 


372 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

ment of Extreme Unction?—( Have the pupils read the 
answers from the Catechism and blackboard. Assign 
the lesson for the next class). 

Application. 1. Extreme Unction is for those, who 
are dangerously ill. A woman got a severe stomach¬ 
ache while eating. The doctor prescribed black coffee. 
But in the middle of the night that sick person called 
for the priest, as though she were in danger of death. 
The priest came and scolded her severely and went 
home again. He did the proper thing. One does not 
die from such trifles. In such cases one does not need 
the priest. The Christian ought to bear all sufferings 
patiently as penance for his sins. 

2. What things ought one to prepare for the Last 
Sacraments ? The mother provided fresh linen. 
When such a distinguished Guest comes into the house, 
everything ought indeed to be neat and clean. The 
mother also prepared a little house altar. Generally 
one does that by spreading a white cloth over a table. 
On it one places in the center towards the rear of the 
table a crucifix between two burning wax candles; to 
the right a vessel containing Holy Water, to the left an 
ordinary glass with clean water and a teaspoon; also 
a saucer with a little salt and six little balls of cotton 
batting. Do you know what they are for ?—The cot¬ 
ton batting and salt are to be thrown into the fire after 
Extreme Unction has been administered. 

3. When the end draws near, one ought to light a 
blessed candle and assist the dying person. But how? 
Some one ought to pray aloud once more the acts of 
Faith, Hope, Charity and Contrition of holy love; 
sprinkle the dying person often with Holy Water and 
give him the crucifix to kiss. If the death struggle 
continues, one should pray the Litany of the Saints 
and from time to time recite aloud for the dying per¬ 
son little ejaculations: “My Jesus mercy! Sweet 
Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me ! 0 Mary, Mother 
of mercy, pray for us ! Holy Guardian Angel assist 


RECEPTION OF EXTREME UNCTION 373 

me !" When the final moment comes, call the Holy 
Name of Jesus three times into the ear of the dying 
person. 

4. Many people imagine, that when they are pre¬ 
pared for the Last Sacraments, they must surely die; 
therefore they postpone the reception of these Sacra¬ 
ments as long as possible. Foolishness! Extreme 
Unction can even restore to bodily health. But he 
that waits until the last moment can not be helped 
any longer. For otherwise God would have to work a 
miracle. Many fear the gossip of the neighbors. 
Foolishness! One does not die because of the gossip 
of people; that depends upon God's will. Therefore 
the rule holds good: As soon as possible, not as late 
as possible ! The sooner the better ! 

5. A happy death is a great grace; for as we die, so 
we remain for eternity. Therefore we ought often to 
pray for the grace of the Last Sacraments. As Patron 
of the dying we honor especially Jesus' foster-father, 
St. Joseph and St. Barbara. Let us now pray together: 
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph! I give you my heart and 
my soul".—“Jesus, Mary and Joseph! assist me in 
my dying hour".—“Jesus, Mary and Joseph! may my 
soul depart in peace with you. Amen". 


VI. 


HOLY ORDERS. 


HOLY ORDERS 


375 


LESSON LI. 
Holy Orders. 


Catechetical Unit: 

1) On whom did Christ Himself confer the Priests 
hood? (Deharbe) 

2) Was the Priesthood to end with the death of the 
Apostles? (Deharbe) 

3) How was the Priesthood continued? (Deharbe) 

4) What is necessary to receive Holy Orders worth¬ 
ily ? L. XXV, Q. 279. 

5) What is the Sacrament of Holy Orders? L. 
XXV, Q. 278. 

6) What are the principal powers of the Priest¬ 
hood? (Deharbe) 

7) Who can confer the Sacrament of Holy Orders? 
L. XXV, Q. 281. 

8) Can a priest be deprived of his ordination? (De¬ 
harbe) 

9) How should Christians look upon the priests of 
the Church? L. XXV, Q. 280. 

(N. B. For the first presentation of the subject matter of Holy 
Orders, it seems better to insist mainly on the basic truths of 
the priestly powers and dignity, leaving for a later lesson a more 
complete development of the meaning of the episcopate and the 
other major and minor orders. The catechist will ask the 
children to memorize for the next class only the answers of the 
Baltimore Catechism). 

Preparation. Dear children, the first five Sacra¬ 
ments are meant for all Christians. The other two are 
only for those, who wish to enter into the state of 
the Holy Priesthood or of Matrimony. Consequently 
these two Sacraments—the Priesthood, or Holy Orders, 
and Matrimony—are called “the Sacraments of a 
special state of life”. 

You already know: When was the first ordination 
to the Holy Priesthood ?—At the Last Supper was the 
first Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the first Holy Com- 


376 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


munion and the first holy ordination to the Priesthood. 
Then Jesus spoke those great words: “Do this in com¬ 
memoration of Me”! At that solemn moment the 
Apostles were made priests (and Bishops) ; Christ 
Himself conferred upon them the Sacrament of the 
Priesthood, or Holy Orders. You see, then, that Holy 
Orders is not from men, but rather from God. 1. 
Christ Himself instituted the Priesthood , when He 
made His Apostles priests. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard; see the diagram below just above the 
synthesis). —But the Apostles died. Did the Priest¬ 
hood also cease to be ?—That cannot be; for otherwise 
the Church would also cease to be. But the Church is 
to continue to the end of time; it is indefectible. 
Therefore 2. the Priesthood was not to end with the 
death of the Apostles any more than the Church was 
to end at their death. (Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board) .—But how was the Priesthood to continue?— 
The Apostles ordained other worthy men to be priests 
(and Bishops). Thus it has continued in the Church 
up to our own times. So it will be to the end of the 
world. 3. The Priesthood was continued by the Sac¬ 
rament of Holy Orders . (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard). 

Aim. Now doubtless you would like to know, how 
the Sacrament of Holy Orders is conferred. I am go¬ 
ing to describe it to you. Then you will see clearly, 
what powers the priest has. 

Presentation. Whoever wants to become a priest, 
must first be called by God to this holy office and 
dignity. The candidate must study many years, until 
he is at least twenty-four year old. Then he must 
ascend to the priestly dignity by seven steps. First 
he receives the four lower, or minor, orders (the orders 
of porter, lector, exorcist, acolyte). Henceforth he 
may perform the lower, or minor, offices of the Church. 
At least that was the custom in the early Church. 
(Now the janitor and the altar-boys perform those 


HOLY ORDERS 377 

offices, at least in part). After the four minor orders 
come the two higher, or major, orders (the orders of 
subdeacon and deacon.) They are allowed to perform 
the higher offices of the Church. They assist the 
priest at a solemn High Mass. The deacon may also 
baptize solemnly and preach and distribute Holy Com¬ 
munion. Only on the seventh step comes the third 
major order, the Holy Priesthood. 

Ordination to the Holy Priesthood is a very beauti¬ 
ful and impressive ceremony. It is conferred by the 
Bishop during Holy Mass. Before the Offertory the 
Bishop kneels down before the altar, the deacons pros¬ 
trate themselves with their faces downwards upon the 
floor. Meanwhile the Litany of All the Saints is 
chanted. ( Use the blackboard; see the diagram below 
just above the Explanation) . Toward the end of the 
Litany the Bishop stands up and solemnly calls down 
the blessing of God upon the deacons, saying: “We 
beseech Thee, hear us! Vouchsafe, 0 Lord, to bless, 
and to sanctify, and to consecrate these chosen ones”. 
Then the Bishop imposes his hands upon the head of 
each deacon. ( Use the blackboard.) Thereupon he 
says a long prayer. That is the great moment of or¬ 
dination to the Holy Priesthood. Now those who are 
ordained are already priests. Therefore the Bishop 
gives to each one the sacred vestments, namely the 
stole and the chasuble. ( Use the blackboard.) He 
also anoints the hands of each young priest with holy 
chrism, saying: “Vouchsafe, 0 Lord, to consecrate 
and sanctify these hands by this unction, and our 
blessing, so that whatever they shall bless may 
be blessed, and whatever they shall consecrate may be 
consecrated and sanctified: in the name of our Lord 
Jesus Christ!” {Use the blackboard). Thereupon 
each one also receives the chalice and paten with the 
offerings of bread and wine {use the blackboard ), 
while the Bishop says the words: “Receive the power 
to offer the Sacrifice to God and to celebrate Mass, as 


378 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


well for the living as for the dead, in the name of the 
Lord!” ( Use the blackboard). 

Now the newly ordained priests offer at once to¬ 
gether with the Bishop their first Holy Mass. All 
pray together with the Bishop the prayers of the Holy 
Mass; also the sacred words of Consecration: “This 
is My Body—This is My Blood !” ( Use the black¬ 

board). At Holy Communion they receive from the 
hands of the Bishop the Sacred Body of the Lord. 
After Communion the Bishop seats himself before the 
altar, and each priest kneels before him on the altar 
steps. The Bishop lays his hands upon the head of each 
priest and says: “Receive the Holy Ghost: whose 
sins thou shalt forgive they are forgiven them; and 
whose sins thou shalt retain they are retained” ( Use 
the blackboard). Then the Bishop takes the hands 
of each newly ordained priest into his own, and asks 
earnestly and solemnly: “Dost thou promise to me 
and to my successors reverence and obedience?” Each 
one answers earnestly and solemnly: “I do so prom¬ 
ise”. As a sign of joy the Bishop then kisses each one 
and says: “May the peace of the Lord be always with 
thee !” ( Use the blackboard). Then follow the final 

word of advice from the Bishop and the solemn con¬ 
cluding blessing. The ordination is over. (Show the 
pupils a large picture of this scene). 

Let us now look over the chief points a little more 
closely. Then I shall explain them to you a little more 
in detail. 

Write on the blackboard: 

1. The Litany of All the Saints; 

2. The imposition of hands and prayer; 

3. The giving of the sacred vestments; 

4. The sacred unction; giving the sacred vessels; 

5. The power of Consecration; 

6. First Holy Mass; 

7. The power to forgive sins; 

8. The promise of obedience—the kiss of peace. 


HOLY ORDERS 


379 

Explanation. 1 . This is a very beautiful and touch¬ 
ing ceremony. But before a young man is made a 
priest, he must desire to become a priest and must be 
found worthy of this high dignity. St. Paul says: 
“Neither doth any man take the honor to himself, 
but he that is called by God, as Aaron was” (Heb. 
v, 4). He means to say: God must call a young man 
to the office of the Priesthood. Therefore to receive the 
Sacrament of Holy Orders worthily it is necessary 
to have a divine call to this sacred office: a vocation to 
the Holy Priesthood. Once a young man feels that he 
should become a priest, he begins to study and to pre¬ 
pare himself by a holy life for many years in the 
seminary. For a priest must be a teacher of the faith¬ 
ful and a shepherd of souls in the name of Christ. 
You can well imagine, therefore, with what holy zeal 
and fervor the young man purifies his soul from all 
sin, so that he may be found worthy of the Holy Priest¬ 
hood. Finally when the Bishop and the seminary 
authorities know, that the candidate is fit, they call him 
for holy ordination. Remember, then: to receive Holy 
Orders worthily, it is necessary to be in the state of 
grace, to have the necessary knowledge and a divine 
call to this sacred office. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard; see the diagram below just above the 
synthesis ). 

2. a) What orders precede the Holy Priesthood ?— 
Only after the candidate has received the four minor or¬ 
ders and the two major orders (sub-deaconship and 
deaconship) may he be ordained a priest. Ordination 
to the Priesthood is introduced by the Litany of All 
the Saints. What do you suppose is the reason of 
that ?—All the Saints of Heaven are called upon to 
pray to God for those who are to be ordained 
priests. For to become a priest one needs much grace, 
and therefore also many intercessors with God. During 
the recitation of the Litany of All the Saints the 
deacons lie with their faces downwards upon the floor 


380 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

before the altar. That perhaps will surprise you. What 
does that ceremony mean?—They wish by that action 
to say, as it were: 0 great God! we are not worthy of 

the sublime dignity of the Priesthood. Therefore we 
humbly and fervently beg of Thee, to make us worthy 
of this great grace! 

Then follows the decisive moment. How is the 
Priesthood conferred ?—The Bishop in silence im¬ 
poses his hands upon the head of each deacon; then he 
recites a long prayer. Thus the priestly power is con¬ 
ferred. But the priest also needs grace that he may 
exercise this high and sacred office properly. He re¬ 
ceives this grace from the Holy Ghost. That is the 
Sacrament of Holy Orders. We have, therefore, 1) 
the imposing of hands and the prayer of the Bishop; 
that is the outward sign —things we can see and hear; 
2) the Holy Ghost gives the priestly power and the in¬ 
ward grace through that outward sign; finally 3) 
Jesus Christ Himself instituted that outward sign that 
gives the priestly power and grace. Let us remember, 
therefore: Holy Orders is a Sacrament by which 
priests are ordained and receive the power and grace 
to perform their sacred duties. ( Repeat together; use 
the blackboard.) —After the Bishop has laid his 
hands upon the heads of the deacons, the priests also 
who are present at the ordination impose their hands 
upon each newly ordained priest. Thereby they wish 
to declare: You also are now priests just the same as 
we ! 

b) If later on a priest is selected by the Pope to be¬ 
come a Bishop, he is consecrated or ordained with 
special ceremonies for this sacred office. Three Bishops 
impose hands upon that priest's head and one of the 
Bishops recites a special prayer; thereby that priest re¬ 
ceives the powers of a Bishop. The Holy Ghost gives 
him grace for that high office. Jesus Christ Himself 
instituted that outward sign and joined to it inward 
grace and power. That is the Sacrament of Holy Or¬ 
ders. Therefore: Holy Orders is a Sacrament by 


HOLY ORDERS 381 

which Bishops are consecrated and receive the power 
and grace to perform their sacred duties. ( Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard; insert the word 
“Bishops”) 

c) Before being made a priest, the candidate must 
receive the four minor orders and the two major orders 
from the Bishop. Thereby he is made a “minister” of 
the Church; he may now assist or minister at the altar. 
But the greatest of these orders is that by which a 
person is made a “deacon”. The Bishop confers the 
order of deaconship by imposing his right hand upon 
the head of the subdeacon and saying at the same time 
a special prayer. That is the outward sign. By means 
of that outward sign the Holy Ghost comes into 
the soul of the deacon and gives him special power and 
grace to enable him to fulfil the duties of his office. 
No man can attach inward grace to an outward sign; 
only God can do that. Therefore ordination to the 
office of deaconship is a true Sacrament, as the Church 
commonly teaches. You see, then, that when our Cate¬ 
chism speaks of “other ministers” of the Church it 
means especially the “deacons”. Holy orders is a 
Sacrament by which other ministers of the Church are 
consecrated and receive the power and grace to per¬ 
form their sacred duties. ( Repeat together; use the 
blackboard inserting the ivords “other ministers ”). 

Now let us repeat the entire answer of the Cate¬ 
chism : Holy Orders is a Sacrament by which Bishops , 
priests, and other ministers of the Church are ordained 
and receive the power and grace to perform their sac¬ 
red duties. 

3. Let us think again of the beautiful ceremonies 
by which the Priesthood is conferred. After the 
Bishop has imposed his hands and spoken a special 
prayer, the chief thing has taken place. Now the 
newly ordained priest also receives the signs of his 
priestly dignity. What are they?—Interiorly the 
priest has already received the unction of the Holy 
Ghost; now the Bishop also anoints the priest 


382 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

exteriorly, namely upon his hands. You can easily 
discover the reason for this.—The hands of the priest 
bless and consecrate; his hands hold the most Sacred 
Body of the Lord at Holy Consecration in the Mass. In 
many countries the beautiful custom obtains, by which 
the people kiss the priest’s hand.—The newly ordained 
priest has already received the power of Conse¬ 
cration. But now the Bishop shows outwardly in a 
special and solemn manner that the newly ordained 
priest has the power of celebrating the Holy Sacrifice 
of the Mass and of changing bread and wine. With 
what words does that take place ?—That is the first 
and greatest priestly power: to change bread and wine 
into the Body and Blood of the Lord. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard.) The priest exercises this 
power at once and celebrates with the Bishop his first 
Holy Mass. 

4. But the power of Consecration is not the only 
power of the priest. You know what took place on the 
first Easter evening.—Jesus, the Risen Saviour, ap¬ 
peared suddenly in the midst of His disciples and sa¬ 
luted them, saying: “Peace be with you !” Then He 
breathed upon them and said: “Receive ye the Holy 
Ghost !”—What Christ once did that the Bishop does 
now. He does not indeed breathe upon the priest, but 
he imposes his hands upon him and speaks the very 
same words: “Receive the Holy Ghost ! Whose sins 
thou shalt forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose 
sins thou shalt retain, they are retained.” Now the 
priest is also a confessor. That is the second great 
power of the priest: the power of forgiving sins. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

That is not, of course, as yet the full power of the 
Priesthood. The Bishop, when anointing the hands 
of the priest, says expressly: “What they shall bless, 
shall be blessed, and what they shall consecrate, shall be 
consecrated and sanctified !” Do you see ? The priest 
has also the power of blessing and sanctifying. ( Re¬ 

peat together; use the blackboard). He has also the 


HOLY ORDERS 


383 


power of administering the Sacraments of Extreme 
Unction and solemn Baptism , of instructing children 
and of feeding and watching over the flock of Christ 
in the name of the Bishop. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard). 

5. Who ordains the new priests ?—Only the Bishop 
can do that; a priest has no power to do that. For the 
Bishop is more than a priest; he has received the ful¬ 
ness of the Priesthood, when he was consecrated a 
Bishop. The consecration to the office of Bishop is 
the crown of priesthood. Bishops can confer the Sacra¬ 
ment of Holy Orders. ( Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board). 

6. How long does a person remain a priest ?—Per¬ 
haps as long as he wishes ?—There have been priests 
who have fallen away from the Faith. Did they then 
cease to be priests ?—You know, that a baptized per¬ 
son receives from the Holy Ghost an indelible mark 
in his soul—the mark of Baptism. Therefore the 
baptized person always remains a baptized person. 
The person confirmed likewise receives a mark, the 
sign of Confirmation. Therefore the person confirmed 
remains forever a confirmed Christian. The very 
same thing is true in regard to Holy Orders. The 
priest receives the mark of the Priesthood from the 
Holy Ghost. Whoever is once a priest remains a 
priest forever.— The priest can as little be deprived 
of ordination as of Baptism , because it imprints art 
indelible character upon the soul. (Repeat together; 
use the blackboard). 

7. Now you can understand what wonderful powers 
and dignity the priest possesses ! He is God’s mes¬ 
senger sent to announce the glad tidings of salvation. 
He gives us the precious graces, which Jesus earned 
for us by His death on the Cross, through the Holy 
Sacraments. He offers up the adorable Sacrifice of 
the Mass. He feeds and watches over the flock of 
Christ. No wonder, then, that Christians should look 
upon the priests of the Church as the messengers of 


384 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


God and the dispensers of His mysteries. ( Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard ). 

Write on the blackboard : 

Holy Orders : 

1. Instituted by Christ, Who made His Apostles 
priests. 

2. To continue forever in the Church—through the 
Sacrament of Holy Orders. (3) 

4. Requires—state of grace, necessary knowledge, 
divine call. 

5. Sacrament—outward sign (imposition of hands, 
prayer of Bishop)—inward grace and power—to 
Bishops, priests other ministers of Church (especially 
deacons.) 

6. Priestly powers: a) to change bread and wine 

(in Holy Mass) ; 

b) to forgive sins (in Pen¬ 
ance) ; 

c) to bless and sanctify; 

d) to administer Sacraments, 
instruct, feed and watch 
over Christ's flock. 

Synthesis. Now we have gathered all together that 
you ought to know about the Priesthood. Who insti¬ 
tuted the Priesthood?—When?—Was the Priesthood 
to cease with the death of the Apostles?—How is the 
Priesthood continued in the Church ?—What must he 
do, who wishes to become a priest ?—What is the Sac¬ 
rament of Holy Orders?—Which is the greatest of the 
orders just below the Priesthood?—Which are the 
powers of the Priesthood?—Which is the chief priestly 
power?—Who can administer Holy Orders?—Can the 
priestly ordination ever be lost?—Why not?—Which 
Sacraments can be received only once in a lifetime?— 
How should Christians look upon the priests of the 
Church ?—( Have the pupils read the answers from the 


HOLY ORDERS 385 

Catechism and blackboard. Assign the lesson for the 
next class). 

Application. 1. Only he that has the Priesthood has 
also the priestly power . Protestants have no Priest¬ 
hood. Martin Luther, the father of the Protestant 
faith, did away with the Sacrament of the Priesthood. 
He said: Every Christian is a priest. And yet, they 
go to the Lord’s Supper. Do they also receive the 
Body of the Lord?—That cannot be. Their ministers 
cannot change bread and wine; for they have no power 
of Consecration without the Priesthood. Their minis¬ 
ters also declare: “Your sins are forgiven”. Is that 
really true?—They cannot forgive sins; for without 
the Priesthood, there is no power of forgiving sins. 

2. The priest has a high dignity; for he is Christ’s 
representative. Therefore you ought to honor the 
priest.—In the life of the great and holy Bishop, 
Francis de Sales, it is related: A newly ordained 
priest was about to leave the church. He remained 
standing for a few moments at the church door, as 
though he first wanted to allow some one to pass out 
ahead of him. The Bishop saw it and was astonished. 
Outside the church he asked that young priest the 
reason for this. The newly ordained priest answered: 
“God has granted me the grace of seeing my Guardian 
Angel. Before I was made a priest, he always went 
ahead of me. But today he remained standing at the 
church door, and let me go ahead, in order to honor me. 
He said, that he is my servant and the servant of every 
priest.” Thus also should you honor every priest and 
not despise any one of God’s anointed priests. Jesus 
said: “He that despiseth you, despieth Me.” To de¬ 
spise a priest brings a bad ending. 

3. But the priest has also a heavy burden. —To 
pray, to fast, to hear Confessions, to administer the 
Last Sacraments, to live a chaste single life, to avoid 
worldly pleasures. He must take care that none of 
his little sheep is lost. St. John Chrysostom therefore 


386 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


once said on the day of his ordination: “Now I need 
many thousands of intercessors, so that on the day of 
judgment I may not be cast into exterior darkness!” 
Yes, the priest does need many graces. Therefore you 
ought also to pray for your priests. The Church asks 
you to pray for good priests especially on the Ember- 
days. 


MATRIMONY 


388 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

LESSON LII. 

(I) Matrimony. 


Catechetical Unit: 

1) How is Christian Matrimony received? (De- 
harbe) 

2) What is the Sacrament of Matrimony? L. 
XXVI, Q. 282. 

3) Can a Christian man and woman be united in 
lawful marriage in any other way than by the Sacra¬ 
ment of Matrimony? L. XXVI, Q. 283. 

4) Can the bond of Christian marriage be dissolved 
by any human power? L. XXVI, Q. 284. 

5) Which are the effects of the Sacrament of Matri¬ 
mony? L. XXVI, Q. 285. 

6) To receive the Sacrament of Matrimony worthily 
is it necessary to be in the state of grace? L. XXVI, 
Q. 286. 

Preparation. Dear children, there are two Sacra¬ 
ments for a particular state in life. In the last class 
we learned about one of these: Holy Orders. Let us 
first review this teaching. (Question the pupils briefly 
on the foregoing lesson .)—The second of the Sacra¬ 
ments for a particular state in life is called Matri¬ 
mony. Do you know who the first married people 
were?—God first created Adam. But Adam was as 
yet alone on earth. He could not speak with any one. 
No one helped him in his work, and no one shared with 
him his happiness. Then God spoke: “It is not good 
for man to be alone. Let us make him a help like unto 
him.” God, therefore, cast a deep sleep upon Adam. 
From the side of the sleeping Adam God took a rib 
and built it into a woman. As soon as Adam awoke, 
God led the woman to him. And God blessed them 
both.—That was the first marriage. Our first par¬ 
ents were the first married people. Marriage is, there¬ 
fore, from God and is sacred. But through Christ it 


MATRIMONY 389 

became even more sacred—a Sacrament. Many Chris* 
tians, of course, do not know that and do not want to 
know it. 

Aim. Therefore I am going to tell you the chief 
things, which a child ought to know about Matrimony, 
or marriage: 1) How is the Sacrament of Matrimony 
received? and 2) Which are the effects of Matrimony? 

Presentation. When two persons, a man and a 
woman, want to get married, they first go to the 
parish priest and tell him of their intention. The 
priest instructs them carefully about this great and 
holy Sacrament. ( Use the blackboard; see the diagram 
below just above the Explanation.) He also tells 
them about the duties, which a husband and wife owe 
to each other. The couple then goes to Confession, for 
they want to receive Matrimony in the state of grace. 
(Use the blackboard.) On the day set for the mar¬ 
riage the bride and bridegroom come with their rela¬ 
tives and friends to the church at the appointed time. 
The altar is specially decorated for the occasion, and 
in some churches there is a kneeling-bench placed be¬ 
fore the altar for the couple about to be married. The 
priest stands before the altar facing the couple. Be¬ 
side them are two witnesses (best man and best 
woman). The priest gives the bridal parties a short 
instruction on the holiness of the Sacrament, which 
they are about to receive, and then puts several ques¬ 
tions to them. 

All are standing. First the priest asks the bride¬ 
groom: “N. wilt thou take N. here present for thy 
lawful wife, according to the rite of our Holy Mother 
the Church?” The bridegroom answers: “I will.” 
Then the priest asks the bride: “N. wilt thou take N. 
here present for thy lawful husband, according to the 
rite of our Holy Mother the Church?” And the bride 
answers: “I will.” Thereupon they join their right 
hands and first the bridegroom says: “I N. take thee 
N. here present for my lawful wife, to have and to 


390 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for 
richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death 
do us part.” The bride in like manner agrees to take 
the bridegroom as her husband with the same words. 
(Use the blackboard.) Then the priest makes the sign 
of the cross over them and says: “I join you in Matri¬ 
mony. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
of the Holy Ghost. Amen.” Thereupon he sprinkles 
them with Holy Water. 

Now the marriage bond is contracted. Immediately 
there follows the ceremony of blessing the marriage 
ring. (Use tlie blackboard.) The bridegroom then 
places the ring on the bride’s finger and says at the 
same time: “With this ring I thee wed, and I plight 
unto thee my troth.” That ring should remind the 
married couple of the duty of remaining faithful to 
each other till death. A few more prayers are added 
by the priest, in order that God may assist them with 
His holy grace. Finally the Nuptial Mass is celebrated 
for the newly married persons. ( Use the blackboard.) 
After the Pater noster the priest gives a special bless¬ 
ing to the bride. (Use the blackboard .) Both receive 
Holy Communion with fervor and devotion asking 
God to bless them. (Use the blackboard.) Thus the 
solemn ceremonies of Christian Matrimony are ended. 
(Show the pupils a large picture of this scene.) 

Write on the blackboard : 

1. Instructions. 

2. Confession. 

3. Words of the marriage contract. 

4. Blessing and giving of the ring. 

5. Nuptial Mass, blessing of the bride, Holy Com¬ 

munion. 

Explanation. 1. Generally Matrimony is contracted 
in the church. Such is the will of God’s Holy Church. 
The bridal couple appear before the altar and the 
priest (the pastor). He asks them solemnly, whether 
it is their earnest wish to take each other as husband 


MATRIMONY 


391 


and wife, or as we also say, to contract the marriage- 
bond. The bridal couple declare that such is their 
earnest intention, in as much as they reply loudly and 
clearly: “I will,” and clasp each other by the right 
hand, in token of their life’s union. The priest and 
the two witnesses hear and see this. Now the mar¬ 
riage is contracted; now they are no longer “single” 
as before, but husband and wife. After this declara¬ 
tion of marriage has taken place, the priest blesses 
the marriage-bond and as a visible sign of this he also 
blesses the marriage ring. Thus, dear children, is 
Matrimony contracted among Christians. The bride¬ 
groom and the bride declare before their pastor, that 
they take each other for husband and wife, whereupon 
the priest blesses their union. (Repeat together; use 
the blackboard; see the diagram below just above the 
synthesis.) 

2. Matrimony comes from the garden of Paradise. 
Already in the Old Testament it was always something 
holy and sacred. But it was not always held to be a 
Sacrament. Therefore when God gave Eve to Adam 
to be his wife, there was indeed a firm union between 
husband and wife, but it was not a Sacrament. God 
loves all men, for they are His creatures. Therefore 
He has arranged that children, when they come into 
the world, have a father and a mother, who love them 
and care for them. It is due to God, then, that parents 
love their children and that children are taken care of 
in the best way in the family. The same is true also 
when two pagans marry each other. They are indeed 
closely united to each other as husband and wife, but 
they do not receive a Sacrament. That holds true only 
when two Christians, two baptized persons, take each 
other as husband and wife. 

Christ the Lord, then, raised Matrimony to a much 
higher dignity; He made it a Sacrament , that is, a 
sacred union through which the married couple re¬ 
ceive grace, in order that they may be able to perform 
faithfully their duties as married people and thus 


392 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


some day go to Heaven as a reward for their fidelity. 
Thus did the early Christians believe. We know that 
from Holy Scripture. St. Paul says expressly: “This 
(that is, Matrimony) is a great Sacrament: but I speak 
in Christ and in the Church" (Eph. v, 32). He means 
to say: Matrimony among Christians is a great Sacra¬ 
ment, because it is an image, a likeness, of the rftys- 
terious union, which exists between Christ and His 
Church. Just as the union between Christ and the 
Catholic Church is a sacred, a holy union, through 
which the Church receives the greatest graces, so also 
the union between Christians in Matrimony is a 
sacred, a holy union, through which the married peo¬ 
ple receive great graces. Thus has the Church always 
taught from the very beginning. We have received 
this teaching from the Apostles as a sacred inherit¬ 
ance. Therefore our Catechism says: The Sacrament 
of Matrimony is a Sacrament which unites a Christian 
man and woman in lawful marriage. (Repeat together; 
use the blackboard.) 

3. With us Christians, therefore, Matrimony is just 
as much a Sacrament as Baptism, or Holy Orders, or 
any of the other Sacraments. Matrimony between 
Christians has all that is required for a true Sacra¬ 
ment. It is an outward sign, instituted by Christ to 
give grace. Two persons, man and woman, declare 
publicly, that they agree to take each other as husband 
and wife. We can hear that. They join their right 
hands. We can see that. It is a sign that now they 
are united to each other very much after the manner 
in which Christ is united to His Bride, the Church. 
Therefore we have an outward sign. Through this 
union God Himself gives grace, first an increase 
of sanctifying grace, and then secondly special (sacra¬ 
mental) graces, so that the married couple may faith¬ 
fully fulfil the duties of their state in life. Thus this 
outward sign gives grace. This grace Matrimony 
could never give, unless Jesus Christ Himself had 
united this grace with Matrimony, that is, unless He 


MATRIMONY 


393 


had instituted Matrimony as a Sacrament. You see, 
then, in regard to Christian Matrimony we have the 
three things which are necessary to make a Sacra¬ 
ment. Consequently Matrimony is a Sacrament. 
Christians, who enter into the married state always 
receive the Sacrament of Matrimony. It cannot be 
otherwise. Therefore our Catechism says: A Chris¬ 
tian man and woman cannot be united in lawful mar¬ 
riage in any other way than by the Sacrament of 
Matrimony, because Christ has raised marriage to the 
dignity of a Sacrament. ( Repeat together; use the 
blackboard.) 

4. The bridal parties agree to take each other as 
husband and wife '‘for better for worse, for richer for 
poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.” 
Yes, so it is. A Christian man and woman, who have 
lawfully and validly entered into Matrimony, cannot 
separate and marry again, while either party is living. 
Christian marriage cannot be dissolved except by 
death. Neither can the priest, or the Bishop, or even 
the Pope, dissolve the marriage-tie. It is indissoluble 
except by death. The bond of Christian marriage can¬ 
not be dissolved by any human power. ( Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard.) Jesus Himself has said 
that expressly to the Jews: “What God hath joined 
together, let no man put asunder” (Matt, xix, 6). 
Thus has the Catholic Church taught always in Christ’s 
name. 

(Sometimes indeed it happens, that persons are not 
really married, although they go through the ceremony 
and people think that they are married. However, the 
Church makes them separate, because she finds that 
they never were really married at all—on account of 
some circumstance, which existed at the time the cere¬ 
mony was performed and which prevented them from 
becoming lawfully married. We shall speak more in 
detail of some of these impediments or hindrances in 
the next class. You see, then, that in such a case the 


394 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Church does not dissolve the marriage-bond, or grant 
a divorce, but only declares that the man and woman 
were never really married at all.) 

5. Before the bridal couple enters into the married 
state, the priest instructs them carefully about three 
important duties , and tells them about the graces they 
are to receive. 

a) The husband and wife are to live in love and 
fidelity to each other till death parts them. That is 
not an easy matter; for in the married life there 
are sometimes bad days. And yet, husband and wife 
ought to live together steadfastly in good fortune and 
misfortune. There ought not to be any such thing as 
hatred, or dissension, or quarrelling, but rather love 
and peace and harmony; no such thing as unfaithful¬ 
ness, but only fidelity to each other till death. They 
ought to bear with each other's weaknesses and fail¬ 
ings.—So it ought to be until death. Now in order 
that the married couple may be able to perform these 
hard duties they need special graces from God. The 
Sacrament of Matrimony gives them those graces.— 
The effects of the Sacrament of Matrimony are 1. to 
sanctify the love of husband and wife; 2. to give them 
grace to bear with each other’s weakness. (Repeat 
together; use the blackboard.) 

b) There is another duty of married people. They 
are to bring up their children as children of God. 
Father and mother receive their children from God; 
therefore they are obliged to educate them so that 
they may indeed become children of God. Parents are 
to plant in the young hearts of their children the love 
and the fear of God. For all—father and mother and 
children—are some day to meet again in Heaven. That 
is a high and great duty of parents. Therefore they 
need a special grace from God. That is another effect 
of Matrimony: 3. to enable them to bring up their 
children in the fear and love of God. (Repeat together; 
use the blackboard.) 


MATRIMONY 


395 

c) Finally the husband must treat his wife with 
kindness, support and cherish her. Therefore the 
father must work diligently every day and must earn 
the daily bread for his wife and children. But the 
mother ought to save, to conscientiously manage her 
household concerns. And if the father commands, the 
mother must obey in all that is just and honorable. 
Of course, if the father were to command something, 
that is unjust or dishonorable, the mother would not 
be allowed to obey. But a Christian father would never 
do such a thing. You see, then, that father and mother 
need special graces to be able to perform these duties 
well. Therefore God gives them special graces. An¬ 
other effect of the Sacrament of Matrimony is that the 
husband should treat his wife with kindness , support 
and cherish her; the wife should obey her husband in 
all that is just and honorable , and conscientiously man¬ 
age the domestic concerns. Matrimony gives special 
graces to enable husband and wife to perform these 
duties. (Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

6. For every Sacrament a preparation is necessary. 
That holds good also for Matrimony. How then ought 
the bridal couple to prepare for the reception of Matri¬ 
mony?—We have already spoken of the instruction, 
which they must obtain from the priest. Besides that 
they must purify and sanctify their hearts by a worthy 
Confession and Holy Communion. For Matrimony is 
holy and sacred. Therefore the bridal couple may not 
enter into the state of marriage with unholy hearts. 
If they were to receive Matrimony in the hatred of 
God, with His disfavor, they could not expect any 
blessing from God. For everything depends upon 
God's blessing, especially in the married life. They 
must also carefully and conscientiously fulfil all the 
laws of the Church.—To receive the Sacrament of 
Matrimony worthily, it is necessary to be in the state 
of grace, and it is necessary also to comply with the 
laws of the Church. (Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board.) 


396 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Write on the blackboard : 

1. Bridegroom and bride declare before pastor and 

two witnesses—they take each other as hus¬ 
band and wife—priest blesses their union. 

2. Matrimony—Sacrament of New Testament. 

3. Christians can be married only by receiving Sa¬ 

crament of Matrimony. 

4. Christian Matrimony—cannot be dissolved ex¬ 

cept by death. 

5. Effects of Matrimony: 

a) to sanctify the love of husband and wife; 

b) to give them grace to bear with each other's 

weakness; 

c) to bring up children in love and fear of God; 

d) to enable husband to support and cherish 

wife; to help wife to obey her husband 
and manage the household conscien¬ 
tiously. 

6. Preparation—state of grace (Confession, Com¬ 

munion) ; comply with the laws of the Church. 

Synthesis. Now we have all that children ought to 
know about Christian Matrimony. From whom does 
marriage come?—How did Christ honor or dignify 
Matrimony?—What does St. Paul say about Matri¬ 
mony?—Can Christians ever be married without re¬ 
ceiving the Sacrament of Matrimony?—How do you 
know that?—Can married people obtain a divorce?— 
Which are the chief effects of Christian marriage?— 
How should Christians prepare for Matrimony? — 
(Have the pupils read the answers from the Cate¬ 
chism and blackboard. Assign the lesson for the next 
class.) 

Application. 1. Matrimony is a Sacrament. Luther 

indeed introduced an entirely new teaching; for he 
said: “Matrimony is a purely worldly matter.” Of 
course, Luther wanted to be wiser than St. Paul and 
the Church. What does St. Paul say of Matrimony?— 
And the Church solemnly and expressly defined: “Mat- 


MATRIMONY 


397 

rimony is a true Sacrament of Jesus Christ.” Who is 
right? Matrimony is not a purely worldly matter, but 
a divine and a holy matter. 

2. Christian Matrimony is indissoluble; the married 
couple must live together till death separates them. 
But you have heard of “separated married people.”— 
If two cannot get along any more, they get a separa¬ 
tion from the Church. Then they may indeed separ¬ 
ate, but they are nevertheless married until death. 
Therefore they are not permitted to marry again, as 
long as one of the parties lives.—But generally most 
people go before the court and obtain a divorce. How¬ 
ever, in God's sight that is not worth anything. It is 
even worse, when they attempt to get married again 
under those circumstances. Such a marriage is in¬ 
valid. In punishment they are excommunicated from 
the Church. 

3. You know that it is a law of the land, that the 
bridal couple first go to the civil authorities, in order 
to obtain a marriage license. Is that a marriage ? 
—No, that is only a permission to get married. 
The Sacrament of Matrimony cannot be received be¬ 
fore the civil authorities. St. Paul says expressly: 
“Matrimony is a great Sacrament: but I say in Christ 
and in the Church .” 

4. Sometimes it happens that two persons have 
lived together for a long time like married people, 
although they have never been validly married. That 
is a wicked life—a very grievous sin. And even though 
later on they get married, they cannot expect much 
blessing. For he that sows sins, cannot reap blessings. 

5. Christians must get married before the priest 
and two witnesses. Not every priest has the power 
to marry persons; only the pastor of the bridal couple 
has that right. Two witnesses must also be present, 
otherwise the marriage is not valid. Thus does the 
Church command. If a Catholic couple, therefore, 
would try to get married before a Protestant minister 


398 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


or a judge, they would not be married at all in the 
eyes of God and the Church. 

6. The marriage state is a holy state of life. But 
it is also a state of trial and tribulation. Just ask 
your parents; they can tell you. What must not a 
father and mother often suffer from their children! 
Generally the marriage day is the most beautiful of 
days. Many have already complained: “Oh! if only 
I had never married.” 


LESSON LIII. 

(II) Matrimony. 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) Who has the right to make laws concerning the 
Sacrament of marriage? L. XXVI, Q. 287. 

2) Does the Church forbid the marriage of Catholics 
with persons who have a different religion or no reli¬ 
gion at all? L. XXVI, Q. 288. 

3) Why does the Church forbid the marriage of 
Catholics with persons who have a different religion 
or no religion at all? L. XXVI, Q. 289. 

4) Why do so many marriages prove unhappy? L. 
XXVI, Q. 290. 

5) How should Christians prepare for a holy and 
happy marriage? L. XXVI, Q. 291. 

Preparation. Dear children, the most sacred mar¬ 
riage that ever took place on earth is doubtless the 
marriage of our Blessed Lady and St. Joseph. They 
were not together from their youth. Only as they 
grew up did they learn to know each other and then 
they became united in holy wedlock and henceforth 
they lived together. The good God gave them a child, 
the Infant Jesus, and now the Holy Family was com¬ 
plete. Your parents, too, were not together from their 
youth. With many of you your father comes from a 


MATRIMONY 


399 


different place than your mother. When your father 
and your mother learned to know each other, and to 
love each other, they decided to get married. A defi¬ 
nite day was agreed upon, and on this day they went 
together to the church, and the priest asked them, 
whether they wished to take each other as husband 
and wife. They answered “Yes,” and ever since then 
your father and mother have been living together and 
will continue to live together until death parts them. 
Matrimony is a great Sacrament. Through this Sacra¬ 
ment the family is founded. Let us review this teach¬ 
ing. ( Question the pupils briefly on the preceding 
lesson.) —Christ has entrusted to His Church the care 
of the Sacraments. How conscientious is not the 
Church in regard to these seven channels of grace, the 
Sacraments! Therefore she has made many laws to 
safeguard the Sacraments as perfectly as possible. 
The same is true of Matrimony. Which is the sixth 
Commandment of the Church?—What does it com¬ 
mand?— 

Aim. Today I shall speak to you more in detail 
about certain laws which the Church has made, in 
order that Christians may receive Matrimony worthily 
and validly. 

Presentation. Don Ferdinand was a brave soldier. 
He spent many years in the service of Philip, King of 
Spain. But the time came when he was to return 
home and take over the government of his little prin¬ 
cipality. He was earnestly thinking about choosing a 
wife for himself and a loving princess for his subjects. 
That was a very important affair; therefore he thought 
over it most seriously. At the royal court there were 
many daughters of noble families. One especially 
pleased him very much; she was, however, related to 
him. But since the Church has forbidden marriage 
with relatives, Don Ferdinand no longer thought of 
marrying her. Many of the others were beautiful and 
wealthy and talented. But he did not look upon these 


400 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

things. The qualities of the soul were dearer to him. 
He found these interior qualities of soul in the Coun¬ 
tess Donna Martha. She was not as beautiful or 
wealthy as the others, but she had a pious and mild 
character and was generous and modest. 

However, Don Ferdinand did not venture to tell her 
his resolution. Therefore he begged the king, who 
was well disposed to him, to ask for her hand for him. 
The king told it to the queen and she gladly told the 
news to the Countess Donna Martha. Donna Martha 
was not a little surprised at first, and did not know 
what to answer. She asked for time to consider, so 
that she might be able to take counsel with God and 
her parents. Hence she prayed much and had several 
Masses offered for her intention, in order that God 
might enlighten her mind. She also received the 
Sacraments and asked for the advice of the queen and 
of her parents. All were agreed, that she should give 
her consent. 

Don Ferdinand was happy, when he heard the news. 
He wanted to celebrate the betrothal, or engagement, 
at once. They prepared themselves with earnestness 
and zeal for this important day. The evening before 
they went to Holy Confession and the next morning 
they received Holy Communion. But after their be¬ 
trothal, or engagement, they did not meet very often; 
for it would have been improper and dangerous to be 
together often, as though they were already married 
people. However, when they did meet each other, 
they only talked of how they intended to live together 
piously and happily and how they intended to care for 
the welfare of their subjects. Generally the queen was 
also present. They would have preferred to celebrate 
their marriage at once. That was, however, impos¬ 
sible. Don Ferdinand had still a great deal to take 
care of in his principality. Donna Martha had to 
arrange for her dowry. But just as soon as all ar¬ 
rangements had been taken care of, they celebrated 
their marriage. The last days immediately before 


MATRIMONY 


401 


their wedding were given over mostly to God. On the 
vigil of their wedding-day they received the Sacra¬ 
ment of Penance. The wedding was solemnized in the 
castle chapel. A few days later they went to their 
home. There they led a pious Christian life. Soon 
the good God gave them a little son. They called him 
in Holy Baptism by the name of Aloysius. This child 
became St. Aloysius, the glorious model of youth. 

Explanation. 1. What a beautiful example are not 
these holy persons for all who wish to enter into the 
sacred state of marriage! The noble Don Ferdinand 
did not simply follow his natural inclinations in choos¬ 
ing a wife. The first thought that came to his mind 
was this: What does the Church wish? What does 
the Church forbid? Yes, thus every loyal Catholic 
thinks. For Matrimony is a Sacrament just as truly 
as Baptism or Holy Communion. Christ has entrusted 
the care of the Sacraments to His Church. She has 
the right to tell us what we are to do and what we are 
to avoid in regard to the reception of the Sacraments. 
Of course, the State also has a right to make laws con¬ 
cerning marriage. For instance, the State can make 
laws with regard to the property of persons who 
marry, with regard to the inheritance of the property 
of married people, with regard to the debts, which 
husband or wife contract, with regard to the marriage 
license and other purely worldly effects of marriage. 
These things are called the “civil effects of the mar¬ 
riage contract.” But in regard to the Sacrament of 
Matrimony only the Church has the right to make 
laws. Remember then: The Church has the right to 
make laws concerning the Sacrament of marriage, 
although the State has the right to make laws 
concerning the civil effects of the marriage contract. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard; see the diagram 
below just above the synthesis.) 

2. The Church has made many laws concerning the 
Sacrament of Matrimony. You already know some 
of these laws. What is the sixth Commandment of the 


402 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

Church?—What do you mean by the precept not to 
marry within the third degree of kindred?—Why did 
not Don Ferdinand marry that noble lady, that pleased 
him most of all?—She was related with him by the 
bonds of blood. What do you mean by the Command¬ 
ment of not marrying privately?—What is the mean¬ 
ing of the precept of not solemnizing marriage at for¬ 
bidden times?—What is the Nuptial Mass?—Should 
Catholics be married at a Nuptial Mass?—It is the 
Church's most earnest wish, that her children should 
not marry persons, who have a different religion or 
no religion at all. Our Catechism says: The Church 
is especially against marriages of Catholics with per¬ 
sons who have a different religion or no religion at all. 
{Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

3. There is a very good reason for this law of the 
Church. Nothing has such a bad influence upon a 
person as bad or improper company. Now when a 
Catholic marries one who is not a Catholic, or more 
so one who has no religion at all, the Catholic party is 
continually associated with one who in most cases is 
ignorant of the true Faith, or who speaks lightly of 
its devotions and practises. Soon the Catholic party 
will give in to these evil influences, and growing tired 
of numerous disputes or ridicule, will become more 
and more indifferent, yes, gradually give up the prac¬ 
tise of the Catholic religion. Perhaps in the end the 
Catholic party will even lose the Faith entirely. That 
has happened time and again. You know that the 
children of Seth were good, until they married the 
children of Cain, and then they also became wicked; 
for there is always the likelihood that the bad will 
pervert the good. Moreover, the children of such a 
marriage can hardly be brought up in the true Faith 
as they have a right to be brought up. Why? Be¬ 
cause the father may want to attend one church and 
the mother another, and to settle the dispute they will 
attend no church. What respect can the children have 
for the true religion, if they hear and see father and 


MATRIMONY 


403 


mother talking and acting like that?—For all these 
serious reasons the Catholic Church is opposed to 
mixed marriages , that is, to marriages between a 
Catholic and a baptized non-Catholic. With much 
greater reason does the Church oppose marriages 
between a Catholic and one who is not baptized at 
all, a heathen or a Jew, or with one, who has publicly 
given up the true Faith, or joined a society forbidden 
by the Church, as for example a Free Mason, or one 
who has no religion at all. The reason is: because 
such marriages generally lead to indifference, loss of 
Faith, and to neglect of the religious education of the 
children. (Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

However, the Church does permit such marriages 
in certain cases. She grants a dispensation. What 
are these cases?— 

When Catholics present themselves before the pas¬ 
tor for marriage, they must answer honestly all his 
questions in this regard. He will ask all that is 
necessary, and will easily discover whether there are 
any reasons, which prohibit marriage. These circum¬ 
stances or facts, which prohibit or prevent marriage 
according to the laws of the Church, are called 
“impediments” 

4. Let us think again of our story. Donna Martha 
did not give her consent at once to Don Ferdinand. 
She first asked for time to consider. Then she begged 
God to enlighten her mind by earnest prayer and by 
having Masses offered for her intention, so that she 
might be able to make the right choice. She also 
asked her dear parents to give her advice or counsel, 
so that she might not make a mistake. Then Don 
Ferdinand and Donna Martha received the Sacra¬ 
ments of Penance and Holy Communion. Now they 
were ready to make a promise of marriage, or a be¬ 
trothal, or engagement. That is the proper, the Chris¬ 
tian way to act. Christians should prepare for a holy 
and happy marriage by receiving the Sacraments of 
Penance and the Holy Eucharist; by begging God to 


404 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

grant them a pure intention and to direct their choice; 
and by seeking the advice of their parents and the 
blessing of their pastors. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard.) 

5. Married people must be united by a great and a 
strong love for each other, otherwise their marriage 
will be unhappy; and an unhappy marriage is a sort 
of Hell on earth. People who intend to get married 
must learn to know each other, in order to find out 
whether they really are suited to each other, whether 
they are virtuous and may hope for a happy married 
life. This period during which the future husband 
and wife learn to know each other better and to try 
each other, is called “courtship.” It is a preparation 
for marriage. And just as seminarians prepare them¬ 
selves for the Holy Priesthood by prayer and recollec¬ 
tion and self-denial, so also people who intend to get 
married must spend their time before marriage. Com¬ 
pany-keeping, therefore, is allowed when there is an 
intention of getting married, and a prospect of mar¬ 
riage. During this period much prudence is neces¬ 
sary. Therefore, all persons, who wish to prepare for 
marriage ought to consult their confessor before they 
give their hearts to any one. That is absolutely neces¬ 
sary for their future happiness. Whoever begins com¬ 
pany keeping too early, frequently falls into great 
sins, and spoils his future wedded happiness. God will 
not bless those who prepare for marriage by leading 
a life of sin. Without God’s blessing it is impossible 
to have a really happy marriage. Our Catechism says: 
Many marriages prove unhappy because they are en¬ 
tered upon hastily and without the proper motives. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

Write on the blackboard : 

1. Laws concerning the Sacrament of Matrimony— 
the Church; Laws concerning the civil effects 
of Matrimony—the State. 


MATRIMONY 405 

2. Church forbids: 

a) marriage with persons who are not Catho¬ 

lics; 

b) marriage with persons who have no reli¬ 

gion at all. 

Such marriages lead to indifference, loss of Faith, 
neglect of religious education of children. (3). 

4. Preparation for marriage—Sacraments, prayer, 
advice of parents and confessor. 

Synthesis. What you have learned today is very 
important for your future happiness. Who has the 
right to make laws in regard to the Sacrament of 
Matrimony?—Why?—Can the State also make laws 
in regard to marriage?—What does the Church think 
of marriage between Catholics and those who are not 
of the Catholic Faith, or who have no religion at all? 
—Tell me some impediments to marriage.—What must 
Catholics do, in order to prepare worthily for mar¬ 
riage?—Is courtship allowed?—How should that time 
be spent?—Why are so many marriages unhappy?— 
(Have the pupils read the answers from the Cate¬ 
chism. Assign the lesson for the next class.) 

Application. 1. You know from the Bible History 
how young Tobias had to make a journey. The Angel 
Raphael accompanied him under the appearance of a 
young man. When they entered into a certain town, 
the Angel said: “A man lives here, Raguel by name. 
He is a relative and has a daughter, and he will give 
you his daughter to wife.” Then they entered into the 
house of Raguel. He received them kindly. When 
Tobias revealed himself, Raguel rejoiced greatly and 
prepared a feast. But Tobias said: “I will neither eat 
nor drink, until thou grantest my wish and givest me 
Sara, thy daughter, to wife.” The Angel also said to 
Raguel: “Fear not and give her to him to wife; for he 
is a God-fearing youth.” Then Raguel consented and 
blessed Tobias and his daughter. Now Tobias and 


406 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

Sara were engaged. They persevered together for 
three days in prayer, and only then did they marry. 
There you see how bridegroom and bride ought to pre¬ 
pare for marriage. 

2. Now one word more about mixed marriages .— 
A certain clerk who was working for a millionaire, 
had gained the good will of her employer by her good 
behaviour. This man hit upon the sensible thought, 
that he does not indeed need another's money, but he 
does need a good daughter-in-law in the family. There¬ 
fore he made her the offer of marrying his oldest son 
to her. But the girl replied, that she had the highest 
respect and regard for the son, but she could not accept 
the proposal, because she is a Catholic. Later on the 
younger son also offered her his hand, saying: “You 
may practise your religion just as before!" However, 
the girl gave him the same answer, that she could not 
accept because she is a Catholic; her Catholic con¬ 
science forbids that. She preferred to remain a simple 
clerk to becoming the wife of a millionaire in a mixed 
marriage. What an example for all Catholics! Be¬ 
ware of mixed marriages! 


LESSON LIV. 

The Seven Sacraments. 

(Review Lesson) 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) How many Sacraments are there? L. XIII, 
Q. 137. 

2) Can we receive the Sacraments more than once? 
L. XIII, Q. 148. 

3) Why can we not receive Baptism, Confirmation, 
and Holy Orders more than once? L. XIII, Q. 149. 

4) What is the character which these Sacraments 
imprint in the soul? L. XIII, Q. 150. 


THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS 407 

5) Does this character remain in the soul even 
after death? L. XIII, Q. 151. 

6) What is a Sacrament? L. XIII, Q. 136. 

7) Whence have the Sacraments the power of giv¬ 
ing grace? L. XIII, Q. 138. 

8) Which are the Sacraments that give sanctify¬ 
ing grace ? L. XIII, Q. 140. 

9) Why are Baptism and Penance called Sacra¬ 
ments of the dead? L. XIII, Q. 141. 

10) Which are the Sacraments that increase sanc¬ 
tifying grace in our soul ? L. XIII, 142. 

11) Why are Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Extreme 
Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony called Sacra¬ 
ments of the living? L. XIII, Q. 143. 

12) What grace do the Sacraments give? L. XIII, 
Q. 139. 

13) Besides sanctifying grace do the Sacraments 
give any other grace? L. XIII, Q. 145. 

15) Do the Sacraments always give grace? L. XIII, 
Q. 147. 

16) What sin does he commit who receives the 
Sacraments of the living in mortal sin? L. XIII, Q. 
144. 

(N. B. Some of these questions and answers have already 
been fully explained in the preceding instructions, while all 
have been touched upon, at least in a general way. The catechist 
will now explain more in detail whatever did not receive special 
treatment. These answers are to be memorized by the pupils 
for the next class.) 

Preparation. Dear children, before we begin today's 
lesson let us first review the questions and answers of 
the last class. ( Question the pupils briefly on the fore¬ 
going lesson.) —Christ gave us seven Sacraments, in 
order that we might become holy and some day be 
happy in Heaven. Which are the seven Sacraments? 
—There are seven Sacraments: Baptism, Confirma¬ 
tion, Holy Eucharist, Penance , Extreme Unction, Holy 
Orders, and Matrimony. (Repeat together.) When 
did Christ institute Baptism?—When did He institute 


408 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

Penance? — Holy Eucharist?—Holy Orders?—-What 
graces does he receive, who is baptized?—he that is 
confirmed?—the penitent?—he that receives Holy Com¬ 
munion ?—a person who is in danger of death, when 
he is anointed ?—the priest ?—married people ?—Now 
tell me briefly: What is Baptism ?—Confirmation ?— 
Baptism is the Sacrament of regeneration, or rebirth. 
Confirmation is the Sacrament of strength. Penance 
is the Sacrament of the forgiveness of sins. The Holy 
Eucharist is the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of 
Christ. Extreme Unction is the Sacrament for those 
who are dangerously ill. Holy Orders is the Sacra¬ 
ment, through which a person is made a priest. Matri¬ 
mony is that Sacrament, through which two persons 
become married people. Can we receive the Sacra¬ 
ments more than once ?— We can receive the Sacra¬ 
ments more than once, except Baptism, Confirmation 
and Holy Orders. ( Repeat together.) Why can we 
not receive Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders 
more than once?— We cannot receive Baptism, Con¬ 
firmation, and Holy Orders more than once, because 
they imprint a character in the soul. (Repeat to¬ 
gether.) What is the character which these Sacra¬ 
ments imprint in the soul ? —The character which 
these Sacraments imprint in the soul is a spiritual 
mark which remains forever. (Repeat together.) — 
Does this character remain in the soul even after 
death? —This character remains in the soul even after 
death; for the honor and glory of those who are saved; 
for the shame and punishment of those who are lost. 
(Repeat together.) — 

Aim. Now some one might ask: But why did Christ 
institute just seven Sacraments ? Are they not too 
many? Do we need them all? This question I am 
going to answer today. 

Presentation. When a child comes into the world, 
it is still a heathen child. But it ought to become a 
Christian child and a child of God. For that reason 


THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS 


409 


we have the Sacrament of Baptism. Thereby the 
child receives a new life, the life of grace. Thus it is 
bom again, regenerated, for eternal life, for Heaven. 
But just as in a garden weeds grow in the midst of the 
flowers, so also in the garden of the heart of the child 
very soon weeds begin to grow, sin namely. In a gar¬ 
den one must again and again tear up the weeds. So 
too we must continually pull out the weeds of sin. 
That happens in the Sacrament of Penance. But after 
Confession we ought to remain in grace and we ought 
to grow continually in the life of grace. How is that 
possible? Jesus Christ Himself comes into our heart; 
He nourishes us with His Sacred Body and Blood. 
Then we are branches on the true vine, Christ. Just 
as the branches receive sap and life-giving power from 
the vine, so we from Christ in Holy Eucharist. 

When the child gradually gets bigger, many dangers 
approach: dangers from the wicked world, dangers 
from the wicked enemy, dangers from evil inclinations, 
or concupiscence. Then it is a question of being strong 
and of not wavering and falling. Therefore the Holy 
Ghost comes into the child's heart in Holy Confirma¬ 
tion and makes it strong in the Faith and for a Chris¬ 
tian life of Faith—the Christian is made a soldier of 
Christ. This struggle never ceases till death. But in 
the hour of death the decisive battle takes place. Once 
more the wicked enemy strains every nerve in order 
to seduce and to destroy the soul. But thanks be to 
God! provision has been made, that the dying person 
might not succumb in the struggle: the priest strength¬ 
ens him by means of Extreme Unction. 

But why have we in addition Holy Orders? Without 
priests no Sacraments, no Church any more. But these 
may not cease; therefore we have the Sacrament of 
Holy Orders. And why Matrimony? Father and 
mother need many graces, in order that they may 
faithfully persevere with each other and educate their 
children to become children of God. For this they 


410 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

receive rich graces in the Holy Sacrament of Matri¬ 
mony. 

Do you see how well Jesus has provided for us ? As 
often as we need grace, we receive grace in a Holy 
Sacrament. If then a Christian is lost, he must say: 
“My fault, my exceedingly great fault!” 

Explanation. 1. Now let us again look at the Sacra¬ 
ments a little more closely. What is there that is the 
same in all the Sacraments ?—In each Sacrament some¬ 
thing takes place visibly, outwardly; that one can see 
and hear—the outward sign. In each Sacrament some¬ 
thing takes place interiorly, in the soul; that one can¬ 
not see and hear—the soul receives invisible grace. 
Every Sacrament is instituted by Jesus Christ.—A 
Sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Jesus 
Christ to give grace. (Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board; see the diagram below just above the syn¬ 
thesis .) In Holy Baptism the Baptismal water together 
with the words of Baptism is the outward sign. The 
person, who has been baptized, is cleansed and sancti¬ 
fied interiorly: that is the invisible grace. Just as the 
child's body is washed by the pouring of water, so also 
the child’s soul is washed clean from the filth of sin. 
Baptism is from Christ. Show me these three parts 
in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist; in Extreme 
Unction.— 

2. But tell me: whence have the Sacraments their 
mysterious power?—Once I saw a picture of the cruci¬ 
fied Christ. Seven streams of the Sacred Blood were 
flowing from the wound in His Sacred Side. (Show 
the children such a picture.) There is a beautiful and 
deep meaning in that picture. The streams of Blood 
signify the seven Sacraments. All the Sacraments 
have been instituted by Jesus Christ and in each Sac¬ 
rament there is the power of Christ’s Blood. By His 
death on the cross Jesus earned, merited, for us all 
graces.—The Sacraments have the power of giving 
grace from the merits of Jesus Christ. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard.) 


THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS 411 

3. But now let us look a little more closely at the 
invisible grace, which the Sacraments give. With each 
Sacrament we receive sanctifying grace; but not from 
all in the same way. We receive the first sanctifying 
grace in Baptism; the sanctifying grace, which we 
have lost, we receive again through Penance. You 
see, then: The Sacraments, that give sanctifying 
grace, are Baptism and Penance. ( Repeat together; 
use the blackboard.) 

What is it that makes the soul alive for God and for 
Heaven?—It is sanctifying grace. A person is alive, 
when he has sanctifying grace in his soul, when he is 
in the state of grace. Everyone, therefore, that has 
not sanctifying grace in his soul, is dead for God and 
for Heaven. Mortal sin is the death of the soul. Now 
why is Baptism received?—It is meant for persons, 
who have never had the life of grace in their souls; 
therefore it is meant to take away sin, which is the 
death of the soul, and to give grace, which is the life 
of the soul. Why is Penance received?—It is meant 
in the first place for persons, who have lost the life of 
the soul, grace, by committing mortal sin after Bap¬ 
tism. Therefore it takes away sin, which is the death 
of the soul, and gives grace, which is the life of the 
soul. Our Catechism says: Baptism and Penance are 
called Sacraments of the dead. (Repeat together; use 
the blackboard.) When we receive the Sacraments 
of the dead, we have not yet the life of grace in our 
soul or we do not have to have grace in the soul; but we 
receive these Sacraments, in order to get grace, the life 
of the soul. 4. Baptism and Penance are called Sac¬ 
raments of the dead, because they take away sin, which 
is the death of the soul, and give grace, which is the: 
life of the soul. (Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board.) But what if a penitent has only venial sins? 
In that case Penance does not give grace, but it in¬ 
creases, gives more grace. 

5. All the other Sacraments give more, increase, 
sanctifying grace and thus increase our glory in 


412 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

Heaven. The Sacraments that increase sanctifying 
grace in our soul are: Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, 
Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony; and 
they are called sacraments of the living. ( Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard.) Therefore a Christian 
may receive these Sacraments only if he already pos¬ 
sesses sanctifying grace in his soul. 6. Confirmation, 
Holy Eucharist, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and 
Matrimony are called Sacraments of the living, because 
those who receive them worthily are already living the 
life of grace. ( Repeat together; use the blackboard). 
There is only one among these Sacraments, which can 
also give sanctifying grace in case of necessity—Ex¬ 
treme Unction. You have already heard: Extreme 
Unction forgives those sins, which the sick person is 
no longer able to confess. 7. Now you see: Some 
of the Sacraments give sanctifying grace, and others 
increase it in our souls. ( Repeat together; use the 
blackboard.) 

8. Each Sacrament also gives a special grace of 
help or assistance , but each one a different grace; for 
each Sacrament has a different end or purpose. Why 
have we Baptism?—Baptism makes from a child of 
man a child of God; but it also gives grace, in order 
that the baptized person may always be able to remain 
a child of God. Why is Confirmation?—Confirmation 
makes a Christian to be a soldier of Christ. At the 
same time it gives a special grace, in order that the 
person confirmed may have strength to believe and to 
live the life of Faith. Penance gives a special grace 
for a pious Christian life; it helps the penitent hence¬ 
forth to avoid sin and dangers of sin. Holy Com¬ 
munion nourishes in us the life of grace. Extreme 
Unction in a special way gives courage and strength 
to the dying for the death struggle. Holy Orders gives 
grace, in order that the person ordained may always 
remain a good priest. Matrimony gives special assist¬ 
ance or help, in order that married people may faith¬ 
fully fulfil the duties of their state in life. You see, 


THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS 


413 


then, how each Sacrament has a special end or pur¬ 
pose ; each one has a different task to perform and each 
one gives special grace to enable us to perform that 
task.—Besides sanctifying grace the Sacraments give 
another grace, called sacramental. ( Repeat together; 
use the blackboard). 9. Sacramental grace is a special 

help which God gives to attain the end for which He 
instituted each Sacrament. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard.) 

10. Great indeed are the holy Sacraments. But not 
to all do they bring blessings; to very many the Sacra¬ 
ments bring destruction. How is that possible?—It 
all depends upon whether we receive them worthily or 
not. What must one do before Confession? before 
Holy Communion?—before Confirmation?—For each 
Sacrament we must prepare ourselves properly; then 
the Sacraments will give grace without the least doubt. 
The Sacraments always give grace, if we receive them 
in the right dispositions. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard). 11. A person, therefore, who would dare 

to receive the Sacraments without the proper disposi¬ 
tions, unworthily, would be guilty of a very great sin 
—a sacrilege. That is especially true of Holy Com¬ 
munion, for in Holy Communion we receive not only 
grace, but the Author of grace, Jesus Christ Himself. 
To receive Baptism and Penance worthily we do not, 
indeed, need to be in sanctifying grace, but we do have 
to prepare ourselves properly for them. For the Sac¬ 
raments of the living we must be in the state of grace, 
as we already learned. He who receives the Sacra¬ 
ments of the living in mortal sin, commits a sacrilege, 
which is a great sin, because it is an abuse of a sacred 
thing. (Repeat together; use the blackboard). You 
see, then, a great deal depends also upon ourselves. 

Write on the blackboard: 


1. Every 
Sacrament 


a) outward sign; 

b) invisible grace; 

c) instituted by Christ. 


414 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


2 . 


Sacraments 


a) give or increase sanctifying; 
grace. 

b) give special ( sacramental) 

grace. 


—to be received worthily—with 
right dispositions (otherwise a 
sacrilege). 


4. Power of Sacraments—through the merits of 
Christ. 


Synthesis. Now you will understand why Christ 
has instituted seven Sacraments. We need them all 
and cannot dispense with any. All the Sacraments are 
signs of God's grace. What is required for a Sacra¬ 
ment?—What kind of grace do the Sacraments give? 
—Which Sacraments give grace ?—Which ones increase 
grace?—What do you call the Sacraments, which give 
grace?—Why?—What do you call the Sacraments, 
which increase grace?—Why?—How must we receive 
the Sacraments ?—What kind of a sin does he commit, 
who receives a Sacrament without the proper disposi¬ 
tions?—Whence have the Sacraments their power?— 
Which Sacraments can we receive only once?—Why? 
—How long does this character remain in the soul?— 
(Have the pupils read the answers from the Cate¬ 
chism. Assign the lesson for the next class.) 

Application. 1. We Catholics have seven Sacra¬ 
ments. But not all Christians are as fortunate as we. 
You know that Luther rejected five of the Sacraments. 
Protestants have only two Sacraments—Baptism and 
the Lord’s Supper. But even their Lord’s Supper is 
not true Holy Communion; they do not receive Christ’s 
Body and Blood, but rather only bread and wine, be¬ 
cause they have no priests. How poorly off they are! 
But how rich are the children of the Catholic Church! 
From the cradle to the grave we receive so many rich 
graces from God. Each Sacrament is like a seed, which 
is placed in the soul and brings forth fruit. At death 


THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS 415 

is the harvest-time; then God will gather the fruits for 
Heaven. 

2. But alas! there are Catholic Christians, who do 
not want to have anything more to do with the Sac¬ 
raments ; they no longer go to Confession and no longer 
want to receive Holy Communion. How ungrateful! 
He that does not want to have anything to do with the 
Sacraments, does not want to have anything to do with 
the grace of Christ. But what will happen to such 
people on the great harvest-day? Would you like some 
day to be so unfortunate? If not, be grateful for the 
holy Sacraments; they are gifts of God. But Christ 
gave them to us for our salvation. Always receive 
the Sacraments worthily. It is better not to receive 
the Sacraments at all than to receive them badly! 


VIII. 


THE SACRAMENTALS. 


SACRAMENTALS 


417 


LESSON LV. 

(I) Sacramentals. 

(The Sign of the Cross) 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) How do you make the sign of the Cross? L. 
XXVII, Q. 295. 

2) How does the sign of the Cross express the mys¬ 
tery of the Incarnation and death of our Lord? L. 
XXVII, Q. 299. 

3) How does the sign of the Cross express the mys¬ 
tery of the Unity and Trinity of God? L. XXVII, Q. 
298. 

4) How is the sign of the Cross a profession of 
faith in the chief mysteries of our religion ? L. 
XXVII, Q. 297. 

5) Why do we make the sign of the Cross? L. 
XXVII, Q. 296. 

6) What is a sacramental? L. XXVII, Q. 292. 

7) Which is the chief sacramental used in the 
Church? L. XXVII, Q. 294. 

8) What is the difference between the Sacraments 
and the sacramentals? L. XXVII, Q. 293. 

Preparation. Dear children, there are seven little 
fountains of grace in our holy Church, the seven Sac¬ 
raments. In them there flows, as it were, the Blood 
of Christ, in order to purify and to sanctify our souls. 
We have them all from Christ. Let us first review this 
teaching. (Question the pupils briefly on the fore¬ 
going lesson). 

The Sacraments are the signs of Christ's grace. But 
we Christians have also other signs of grace. They 
are not indeed as holy as the Sacraments, but they are, 
nevertheless, precious.—What do you do when you 
enter the church ? You take Holy Water and make the 
sign of the Cross. Whoever does that devoutly, 
receives grace from God. How do we make the sign 


418 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

of the Cross ?—We make the sign of the Cross by put¬ 
ting the right hand to the forehead, then on the breast, 
and then to the left and right shoulder, saying: In the 
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Ghost. Amen. ( Repeat together; correct any defects 
ivhich the pupils may be guilty of.) —In the church the 
priest gives you the blessing at Holy Mass; sometimes 
also the blessing, or benediction, is given with the 
Blessed Sacrament. Holy Water, the sign of the Cross, 
the blessing of the priest, benediction of the Blessed 
Sacrament—all these are Christian signs of grace. But 
there are also many others. They are called sacra- 
mentals. 

Aim. Today we are going to learn about these lit¬ 
tle signs of grace or sacramentals , but especially about 
the sign of the Cross. In the next class we shall learn 
about Holy Water and some of the other sacramentals. 
—The sign of the Cross has a special power. I shall 
first tell you a story of how the sign of the Cross helped 
to bring victory. 

Presentation. Among the Roman Emperors there 
was one, who was called Constantine. His mother, 
St. Helena, was a Christian. He most probably ob¬ 
tained a better idea of Christianity from this pious 
woman. Constantine, while still a pagan, marched at 
the head of his army against his enemy, Maxentius, 
who was much stronger and who contended with him 
for the throne. Then Constantine with his entire army 
saw on the heavens a shining Cross with the inscrip¬ 
tion: “In this sign thou wilt conquer!” After this 
vision Constantine had a standard (or flag) made 
according to this sign and ordered that standard to 
be carried at the head of the troops and thus gained a 
complete victory over his enemy. In triumph he en¬ 
tered into Rome and became henceforth a zealous pro¬ 
tector of the Christian religion. He permitted the 
free exercise of the Christian religion, built splendid 
churches and received Holy Baptism. His example 


SACRAMENTALS 419 

moved thousands of heathens to be converted to the 
religion of Christ, and soon the temples of the idols 
were empty. After a short while the Christian religion 
became the dominant religion of the Roman Empire. 
His mother, St. Helena, faithfully supported her son; 
she built the church of the Holy Cross on Mount Cal¬ 
vary, and on Mount Olivet she built the church of the 
Ascension. She it was also, who discovered the holy 
Cross again, an event which the Catholic Church cele¬ 
brates on the feast of the Invention of the holy Cross. 
(Show the pupils a large picture of this event from the 
life of Constantine .) 

(Cf. Dr. A. Weber’s: Ausgefiihrte Katechesen iiber das dritte 
Hauptstuck fur das 5. Schuljahr, vol. I, p. 105 Jos. Kosel, 
Kempten u. Miinchen 1904.) 

Explanation. 1 . The Emperor Constantine owed 
his victory to the sign of the holy Cross. At first the 
battle was doubtful. But when the standard with the 
sign of the Cross was carried at the head of the troops, 
the soldiers of Constantine were animated with new 
courage, and God so disposed things that the battle 
was won. God Himself willed, that the Cross should 
be attached to the standard of battle. He caused a 
shining Cross to appear in the heavens with the in¬ 
scription : “In this sign thou wilt conquer !” There¬ 
by God made known His will, that the soldiers were 
to rely upon this sign and trusting in the same to win 
the battle. By the victory of the Emperor it became 
evident to all, that in the sign of the Cross there must 
be a special power. 

2. The power of the sign of the Cross does not, of 
course, consist in the few lines, out of which it is made. 
Neither did that power consist in the standards, which 
the soldiers carried on before, but rather in what the 
Cross signifies. It reminds us of the death of Christ. 
Christ on the Cross conquered the wicked enemy, 
redeemed the world and reconciled the world with God. 
Before that the Cross was a sign of shame; but since 
Christ it is a sign of honor. Therefore the power of 


420 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

the Cross is in the sufferings and death of Christ. The 
memory of the death of Christ continues to work in 
the Cross, and therefore there is no wonder, that Con¬ 
stantine conquered. Christ has won a much greater 
victory on the Cross than Constantine won. He con¬ 
quered the wicked enemy and freed the world, and 
from this victory of Christ all power goes forth; of this 
victory of Christ the victory of Constantine was only 
a faint reflection or picture. Our Catechism says: 
The sign of the Cross expresses the mystery of the* 
Incarnation by reminding us that the Son of God, hav¬ 
ing become man, suffered death on the cross. ( Repeat 
together; use the blackboard; see the diagram below 
just above the synthesis .) Think of that each time you 
make the sign of the Cross. 

3. Ever since the first battle was won in the sign 
of the Cross, veneration of the sign of the Cross ad¬ 
vanced rapidly. The Emperor himself built splendid 
churches and placed the Cross on the altars. His 
mother, St. Helena, had a search made for the true 
Cross and rejoiced, when it was discovered. She built 
the church of the holy Cross and the church of the 
Ascension. The Cross reminded the Christians of their 
redemption; in the Cross they placed their confidence, 
and their confidence was often rewarded. Especially 
did the custom come into vogue of making the sign of 
the Cross on the forehead, mouth and breast. ( Illus¬ 
trate! and have the pupils imitate carefully.) When 
the priest reads Holy Mass, he gives the blessing in the 
form of the Cross. Surely there is no more beauti¬ 
ful and appropriate sign with which to confer a bless¬ 
ing. In the Old Testament a blessing was given by 
the priest extending both hands over the people and 
calling down God’s blessing. In the New Testament 
we have the sign of the Cross. The priest makes the 
sign of the holy Cross with his right hand. 

4. But there is another deep meaning in the sign of 
the Cross. When making the sign of the Cross we say 
the words: “In the name (not names) of the Father, 


SACRAMENTALS 421 

and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”. Thereby we 
openly profess that we believe in one God (in the 
name)—the doctrine of the Unity of God. Then we 
also pronounce the names of the three adorable Per¬ 
sons in God—Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Thus we 
profess our belief in the mystery of the Most Blessed 
Trinity—three Divine Persons in one God. Our Cate¬ 
chism says: The words, In the name, express the 
Unity of God; the words that follow, of the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, express the 
mystery of the Trinity. ( Repeat together; use the 
blackboard.) 

5. You see, therefore, that every time we make the 
sign of the Cross we openly acknowledge that we be¬ 
lieve in one God in three Divine Persons and also that 
the Son of God became a man and suffered and died for 
us. Let us say the entire answer together: The sign 
of the Cross is a profession in the chief mysteries of 
our religion because it expresses the mysteries of the 
Unity and Trinity of God and of the Incarnation and 
death of our Lord. ( Use the blackboard). 

6. The sign of the Cross is the badge of the Chris¬ 
tian ; it distinguishes him from the unbeliever. It is 
an open profession of those two very important, yes, 
the chief mysteries of our Holy Christian Faith. That 
is the reason why we make the sign of the Cross. We 
make the sign of the Cross to show that we are Chris¬ 
tians and to profess our belief in the chief mysteries 
of our religion. (Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board) . 

7. From all this you can clearly understand that 
the Cross is something holy and sacred. It is set apart 
or blessed by the Church to stir up within us good 
thoughts and to increase our devotion. Surely God is 
pleased with us, when He sees us thinking of the 
Blessed Trinity and of Jesus, Who suffered and died 
for us. These pious thoughts and emotions take away 
our venial sins, provided, of course, that we are truly 
pious and devout, when we make the sign of the Cross. 


422 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


Therefore the sign of the Cross is a sacramental. A 
sacramental is something set apart or blessed by the 
Church to excite good thoughts and to increase devo¬ 
tion, and through these movements of the heart to re¬ 
mit venial sin. (Repeat together; use the blackboard) 

8. The chief sacramental used in the Church is the 
sign of the cross. (Repeat together; use the black¬ 
board.) 

9. The sign of the Cross is a sacramental and gives 
us grace. It is very much like a Sacrament. It is an 
outward sign; it gives us grace. And yet, there is a 
great difference between a sacramental and a Sacra¬ 
ment. Who instituted the Sacraments?—Jesus Christ 
Himself instituted the Sacraments; no man could do 
that, not even the Church can do it. But the Church 
has instituted the sacramentals. You see, therefore, 
that sacramentals are only like the Sacraments; hence 
they are called the sacramentals. Every time we re¬ 
ceive the Scraments worthily, we receive God's grace. 
The Sacraments give grace of themselves, provided we 
place no obstacle in the way,—if we receive them 
piously and properly. But the sacramentals do not 
give grace of themselves. When we make use of a sac¬ 
ramental piously, we are moved to pious thoughts and 
affections. God is pleased with these pious thoughts and 
affections of our hearts. Because of them He gives us 
grace. Therefore sacramentals do not give grace of 
themselves like the Sacraments, but only because of our 
pious thoughts and affections. That is another great 
difference between a Sacrament and a sacramental. 
Let us say the answer as our Catechism has it: The 
difference between the Sacraments and the sacramen¬ 
tals is: 1st, The Sacraments were instituted by Jesus 
Christ and the sacramentals were instituted by the) 
Church; 2nd, The Sacraments give grace of themselves 
when we place no obstacle in the way; the sacramen¬ 
tals excite in us pious dispositions, by means of which 
we may obtain grace. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard ). 


SACRAMENTALS 423 

Write on the blackboard: 

The Sign of the Cross: 

1. expresses the mystery of the Incarnation, suffer¬ 
ings and death of Christ; 

2. expresses the mystery of the Unity and Trinity 
of God; 

3. shows we are Christians; expresses belief in 
chief mysteries of our religion. 

4. Sacramental—something set apart by Church— 
to excite pious dispositions—remits venial sins. 

5. Sign of Cross—chief sacramental used by Church. 

6. Sacramentals—like Sacraments, but not institu¬ 
ted by Christ—from Church—give grace through 
pious dispositions, which they excite. 

Synthesis. Let us now repeat what you have learned 
today about the sign of the Cross. How do you make 
the sign of the Cross ?—In what other way can the sign 
of the Cross be made ?—Has the sign of the Cross any 
power?—Give me an instance to prove that.—Of what 
does the sign of the Cross remind you ?—Of what other 
mystery ?—How does the sign of the Cross express the 
mystery of the Unity and Trinity of God?—Why do 
you make the sign of the Cross?—What is a sacra¬ 
mental?—Which is the chief sacramental used in the 
Church?—How do the sacramentals resemble the Sac¬ 
raments?—How do they differ from them?—Is the sign 
of the Cross the only sacramental ?—( Have the pupils 
read the answers from the Catechism. Assign the les¬ 
son for the next class ). 

Application. 1. The sign of the Cross is a short 
summary of the whole Catholic Faith. By it the Cath¬ 
olic lets men know that he professes the religion of the 
crucified Saviour. To Jews and Turks the Cross is 
an object of hatred and contempt; Protestants, gener¬ 
ally, pay no honor to the holy Cross, although there 
are some, of course, who have learned to show honor 
to it from the children of the Catholic Church. 


424 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

The sign of the Cross is thus the peculiar property of 
Catholics the world over. It is a custom so ancient 
that it is generally believed to have been introduced 
by the Apostles. The Catholic Church repeats the 
sign of the Cross over and over again in Holy Mass, in 
all the Sacraments, in all blessings, and consecrations; 
the Cross is placed on all our churches, over all our 
altars, on banners, on sacred vestments, and over the 
graves of the departed. Churches are built in the 
form of a Cross. 

2. The sign of the Cross is no empty ceremony, but 
is of itself a blessing, and a prayer for a blessing from 
God. The sign of the Cross chases away the devil and 
his temptations; as the dog fears the whip with which 
he has been beaten, so the evil one dreads the sign of 
the Cross by which he has been vanquished, for it 
reminds him of the holy Cross by which he was con¬ 
quered on Calvary. Once there was a stag which bore 
between its antlers a tablet in which were written in 
golden letters the words: “I belong to the Emperor, 
hurt me not!” No huntsman ventured to shoot this 
stag. So whenever we make the sign of the Cross, we 
bear the inscription: “I belong to Jesus Christ!”, and 
this protects us from our enemy, the devil. St. John 
Damascene says: “The sign of the Cross is a seal, at 
the sight of which the destroying angel passes on, and 
does us no harm”. The early Christians made a con¬ 
tinual use of the sign of the Cross, as Tertullian says: 
“At the beginning and during the performance of all 
that we do, when we go in and out of the house, when 
we dress ourselves, and when we lie down to rest, in 
fact in everything, we mark ourselves on the forehead 
with the sign of the Cross”. Each time we make the 
sign of the Cross with contrite hearts, we gain an In¬ 
dulgence of fifty days. 

3. The sign of the Cross is not a Sacrament, but it 
is like a Sacrament—a sacramental. It was not insti¬ 
tuted by Christ, but by the Church. It does not give 
us grace of itself, but it excites in us pious thoughts 


SACRAMENTALS 425 

and affections, and through these dispositions of soul 
God takes away our venial sins and gives us grace. 
Every Christian ought to possess a Cross for himself. 
An Indulgence is attached to a Cross, that has been 
specially blessed by the priest. Have you a Cross in 
your bedroom ? In the hour of your death a Cross will 
be placed in your hands, and the sight of the crucified 
Saviour will be your consolation and hope in that last 
dread hour. Then you need the Cross in a special way, 
so that the prayers of Christ and of the Church may be 
helpful to your soul. Take care, then, to possess a cru¬ 
cifix ! Even now it will remind you of death! 

4. Let us all make the sign of the Cross now devoutly 
and reverently, so that we may gain the Indulgence at¬ 
tached to making use of this sacramental devoutly. 


LESSON LVI. 

(II) Sacramentals. 

(Holy Water, etc.) 

Catechetical Unit: 

1) What other sacramental is in very frequent use? 
L. XXVII, Q. 300. 

2) What is Holy Water? L. XXVII, Q. 301. 

3) How should we use Holy Water? (Deharbe) 

4) Are there any other sacramentals besides the 
sign of the Cross and Holy Water ? L. XXVII, Q. 302, 

5) What is a sacramental? L. XXVII, Q. 292. 

Preparation. Dear children, St. John, Apostle and 
Evangelist, was called the beloved disciple of the Lord. 
Because he preached the doctrine of the Divinity of 
Christ fearlessly, he was hated especially by the unbe¬ 
lieving Jews. They plotted against his life. On a cer¬ 
tain occasion, as the story goes, they gave him a cup 
that contained a poisonous drink. But the Saint was 
accustomed before eating or drinking anything, as the 


426 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

legend tells us, to make the sign of the Cross over his 
food and drink. He did that on this particular occa¬ 
sion. And behold! the cup broke and a serpent came 
forth, showing that the cup contained poison. The 
sign of the Cross saved the life of this great Saint. The 
sign of the Cross has great power. We saw that in 
the last class. Let us review this teaching. ( Ques¬ 
tion the pupils briefly on the foregoing lesson.) ' Who¬ 
ever makes the sign of the Cross devoutly receives 
grace from the Holy Ghost. It is a sacramental. But 
there are many other sacramentals in use in the 
Church. Our Catechism says: Another sacramental 
in very frequent use is Holy Water. ( Repeat together; 
use the blackboard; see the diagram below just above 
the synthesis) . You all have taken Holy Water fre¬ 
quently; each time you did that devoutly the Holy 
Ghost gave you His grace. Before the parochial Mass 
the priest sprinkles the people with Holy Water, which 
he has blessed in the sacristy before the Mass. 

Aim. Today I am going to describe for you the 
blessing of Holy Water. —Twice each year there is a 
solemn blessing of Holy Water in the Church, namely 
on Holy Saturday and on the Saturday before Pente¬ 
cost. But each Sunday also there is a simple blessing 
of Holy Water before the parochial Mass. How does 
this blessing take place? 

Presentation. The priest stands before a vessel 
containing pure water; next to this vessel there is a 
plate of salt. The priest first blesses the salt, then 
the water. He makes the sign of the Cross with his 
right hand three times over the water, reciting in the 
meanwhile certain prayers “ in the name of God the 
Father almighty, in the name of Jesus Christ, and in 
the power of the Holy Ghost.” Then he continues: 
"0 God! listen graciously to our prayers, and infuse 
into this water the power of Thy benediction. Give 
to it the power of driving away devils and curing dis¬ 
eases, that whatever in the houses or the places of the 


SACRAMENTALS 427 

faithful shall have been sprinkled with this water, may¬ 
be freed from all uncleanness and delivered from all 
guile. Let no pestilential spirit reside there, no infec¬ 
tious air; let all snares of the hidden enemy be removed. 
And if there should be anything adverse to safety or 
repose of the indwellers, may it be put entirely to flight 
by the sprinkling of this water, that the welfare which 
we seek, by the invocation of Thy Holy Name, may be 
defended from all assaults: through our Lord Jesus 
Christ,” etc. 

After this solemn prayer the priest takes the blessed 
salt and mingles the salt with the water, saying the 
words: “May this mingling of salt and water be made, 
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
Holy Ghost”. “Let us pray! Trembling and sup¬ 
pliant we beseech Thee, O Lord, that wherever this 
water is sprinkled it may drive away the wicked spirits 
and the Holy Spirit may help us: through our Lord 
Jesus Christ”. Thereupon the priest standing at the 
foot of the high altar intones the Asperges: “Sprinkle 
me, O Lord, with hysop and I shall be purified; wash 
me and I shall be made whiter than the snow!” While 
this hymn is being chanted by the choir the priest goes 
through the church and sprinkles the faithful with 
the blessed water. In the country he also, in cer¬ 
tain places, goes into the cemetery and sprinkles the 
graves of the deceased, in order that they also may have 
this Christian alms. 

Explanation. 1. Each Sunday the priest blesses 
water and sprinkles the people with it. While blessing 
the water the priest speaks the beautiful and powerful 
prayer of benediction. Let us look at it once more 
and ask: For what does the Church pray? “Give to 
this water the power of driving away devils and of 
curing diseases”. Here the Church prays for protec¬ 
tion against the devil and for the welfare of the body. 
“Grant that whatever in the houses or the places of 
the faithful shall have been sprinkled with this water, 
may be freed from all uncleanness and delivered from 


428 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

all guile”. Here the Church prays, that God may turn 
away from us His judgments and punishments. Like¬ 
wise where he prays: “Let no pestilential spirit re¬ 
side there, no infectious air”. Then the Church prays 
again for protection against the wicked enemy: “Let 
all snares of the hidden enemy be removed”. Finally 
the Church prays once more for peace and blessing: 
“If there be anything adverse to the safety or repose of 
the indwellers, may it be put entirely to flight by the 
sprinkling of this water, that the welfare, which we 
seek, may be defended from all assaults.” You see, 
then, that this water has great power, if we use it 
rightly. Now you understand what Holy Water is: 
Holy Water is water blessed by the priest with solemn 
prayer to beg God’s blessing on those who use it, and 
protection from the powers of darkness. (Repeat to¬ 
gether; use the blackboard ). 

2. The people take the water, which the priest has 
blessed, to their homes. Why do they do that?—A 
pious Christian also takes Holy Water every morning 
and night, also when he enters and leaves the house. 
That is a good Christian custom. Therefore in every 
Christian home there hangs a vase for Holy Water near 
the door. Have you one at home? Is there Holy 
Water in it? See to it, that it is never empty. In 
the church, too, near the door you see a Holy Water 
vase. Upon entering and leaving the church we take 
Holy Water and make the sign of the Cross. That, too, 
is an old Christian custom. A pious Christian sprinkles 
himself with Holy Water not only when he enters or 
leaves the church , but also in his house , when rising 
and going to bed , when going out and returning , and 
on many other occasions. (Repeat together; use the 
blackboard ). 

But you ought not to take Holy Water thoughtlessly, 
otherwise it will not help at all. You ought also to put 
in a petition. When the priest sprinkles Holy Water, 
he prays: “Sprinkle me, 0 Lord, with hysop, and I 
shall be cleansed .” The Holy Water ought to remind 


SACRAMENTALS 


429 


you of Christ’s Blood. Through the Blood of Christ 
we were cleansed from sin. Therefore you might pray, 
when taking Holy Water: “Blood of Christ, make me 
clean !” Therefore a pious Christian when taking 
Holy Water, at the same time begs God, that, through 
the Blood of Jesus Christ, he may be more and more 
purified, and be protected in all dangers of soul and 
body. (Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

3. God, the Lord, is unspeakably holy. As the Bible 
tells us, the Seraphim stand with veiled faces before 
the throne of God, for they are not worthy to look 
upon His face and cry out continually: “Holy, holy, 
holy, Lord God of armies!” Therefore whatever is 
destined for God’s service may no longer serve the 
world, but must be specially consecrated and dedicated 
to His service. We have just seen that in regard to 
Holy Water. Such water may not be used for worldly 
purposes, for drinking, washing, cooking, etc. If it 
becomes harmful or useless for the service of God or 
the pious use of the faithful, it must be destroyed. 

But Holy Water is not the only thing, which the 
Church consecrates, or sets apart, for the service of 
God and the pious use of the faithful. The Church 
consecrates many other things. To perform the divine 
services persons are necessary, priests. You remem¬ 
ber from our lesson on Holy Orders, by what beautiful 
ceremonies students for the Priesthood are consecrat¬ 
ed to God’s service by the four minor orders and the 
subdiaconate. These consecrations are sacramentals 
just as much as Holy Water. Then again for the ser¬ 
vice of God certain things are consecrated, or set 
apart: churches, altars, bells, sacred vessels and vest¬ 
ments, candles, crucifixes, etc. In certain consecra¬ 
tions, which are especially solemn, the Church uses 
sacred oils. They too are sacramentals. Finally for 
the pious use of the faithful the Church consecrates 
and blesses crosses, rosaries, medals, images (pictures 
and statues) of Christ, of the Blessed Virgin and of 
the Saints, ashes, palms, etc. All these blessed things 


430 


THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 


are sacramentals. Our Catechism says: Besides the 
sign of the Cross and Holy Water, there are many 
other sacramentals, such as blessed candles, ashes, 
palms, crucifixes, images of the Blessed Virgin and of 
the Saints, rosaries, and scapulars. (Repeat together; 
use the blackboard.) 

In the Bible it is related of Jesus, that “having 
called together His twelve disciples He gave them 
power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to 
heal all manner of infirmities” (Matt, x, 1). The 
Church continues to do this very same thing. She 
gives to her priests the power of casting out (exorcis¬ 
ing) evil pirits, so that they cannot hurt us. You have 
already heard of that in today’s lesson concerning the 
blessing of Holy Water. Recall also the ceremonies of 
Baptism.—These exorcisms are also sacramentals. 

Finally the Church also blesses ; she calls down 
God’s blessing upon persons and things: the blessings, 
which the priest gives with the Blessed Sacrament, the 
blessing spoken over the sick, the blessing of the 
throats (on the feast of St. Blase), the blessing of 
corpses, the blessing of the fields, of fruits, etc. All 
these blessings are sacramentals. 

4. Now you can easily understand what we mean by 
a sacramental. Whatever the Church sets apart, or 
blesses, for the service of God or for the pious use of 
the faithful is a sacramental—the sign of the Cross, 
Holy Water, blessed candles, ashes, palms, rosaries, 
scapulars, churches, oil, salt, etc. When we use them 
properly, we are moved to pious thoughts and feelings. 
God is then pleased with us and takes away our venial 
sins and gives us many other blessings. Then also the 
Church consecrates, or dedicates, or blesses persons or 
things; she also exorcises evil spirits. All these cere¬ 
monies are also sacramentals. They raise our thoughts 
to God; they move us to be pious and devout. God is 
pleased with these devout movements of our hearts 
and thereby gives us many blessings—A sacramental 
is anything set apart or blessed by the Church, to 


SACRAMENTALS 


431 


excite good thoughts and to increase devotion, and 
through these movements of the heart to remit venial 
sins. ( Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

5. What is the difference between a Sacrament and 
a sacramental?—Let us consider Holy Water. To what 
Sacrament is Holy Water like most of all?—To Bap¬ 
tism. Baptism is a visible sign, so is Holy Water. 
Baptism gives invisible grace, so does Holy Water. 
But how does Baptism give grace?—It gives us grace 
of itself, for the Sacraments contain grace and always 
give grace, provided we do not prevent grace from 
entering our soul by not being properly disposed to 
receive it. But the sacramentals, Holy Water for in¬ 
stance, do not give grace of themselves. They move us 
to pious and devout thoughts, and because of these 
pious dispositions God gives us grace. Finally Christ 
Himself instituted Baptism and all the Sacraments; 
but the Church instituted Holy Water and the other 
sacramentals. Therefore you see, that the sacramen¬ 
tals are only like the Sacraments. They differ from 
the Sacraments in two ways. Our Catechism says, as 
you heard in the last lesson: 1st, The Sacraments 
were instituted by Jesus Christ and the sacramentals 
were instituted by the Church; 2nd , The Sacraments 
give grace of themselves when we glace no obstacles 
in the way; the sacramentals excite in us pious dis¬ 
positions, by means of which we may obtain grace. 
(Repeat together; use the blackboard.) 

6. But a doubter might ask here: Has the Church 
really power to institute sacramentals? Just recall 
what you learned about Holy Orders. — While the 
Bishop anoints the hands of the priest, he says: 
“Whatever they bless, shall be blessed, whatever they 
consecrate, shall be consecrated.” Do you see? The 
priest can bless and consecrate. He may also exorcise 
the evil spirits, he receives special consecration for 
that purpose. Christ gave to His Apostles, and there¬ 
fore to His Church, the power to bless, to consecrate 
and to exorcise.—Therefore the Church instituted the 


432 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

sacramentals by virtue of the power she received from 
Christ to bless, to consecrate, and to exorcise. (Repeat 
together; use the blackboard). 

Write on the blackboard: 

1. Holy water—sacramental—water blessed by the 

priest—to beg God’s blessing—to protect from 
evil. 

2. Holy Water — at home, in church — Blood of 

Christ. 

3. Other sacramentals—blessed candles, ashes, etc. 

4. Sacramental—anything blessed, or set apart by 

Church—consecrations, exorcisms, blessings— 
to excite devotion and thereby to remit venial 
sins. 

5. Sacramentals—like the Sacraments, but not from 

Christ—from the Church (power to bless, etc.) 
—do not give grace of themselves. 

Synthesis. Let us now review what you ought to 
remember about sacramentals, especially Holy Water. 
When is Holy Water blessed?—What is Holy Water? 
—When ought you to use Holy Water?—For what 
does the Church pray, when she blesses Holy Water?— 
What are sacramentals?—Which is the chief sacra¬ 
mental after the sign of the Cross?—How are sacra¬ 
mentals different from Sacraments?—Has the Church 
the power to institute sacramentals?—Name some 
other sacramentals besides Holy Water and the sign 
of the cross.— ( Have the pupils read the answers from 
the Catechism and blackboard. Assign the lesson for 
the next class.) 

Application. 1. The Sacraments have been institut¬ 
ed by Christ and have a greater power than the sacra¬ 
mentals. Nevertheless the sacramentals are very 
helpful to us. A Sacrament demands a good prepara¬ 
tion and therefore cannot be received always. But we 
can make use of Holy Water at any time, without a 
special preparation, even when in sin. The only thing 


SACRAMENTALS 433 

required is, that we take it with the proper disposition, 
that is, with devotion and contrition and confidence in 
God's mercy. 

2. You ought to keep the Holy Water vases at home 
in good condition. They are very much exposed to 
dust. Therefore they ought to be cleaned from time 
to time. In summer the Holy Water evaporates quick¬ 
ly. Therefore Holy Water ought to be poured into the 
vase at the required times. Holy Water can also help 
the Poor Souls. Whenever you visit a grave, sprinkle 
it with Holy Water. Thereby the Poor Souls have a 
share in the prayers of the Church. 

3. The sacramentals are little sacraments, as it 
were. We ought to use them zealously. But generally 
they will work only, if we use them with childlike con¬ 
fidence and trust. Have you a blessed medal? a ros¬ 
ary? a crucifix for the dying? 

4. Just listen to one more example of the power of 
sacramentals! A certain person, who experienced it 
himself, tells us: “Years ago I became dangerously 
ill. The end was close at hand. For three hours I lay 
like one dead. The wicked enemy tortured me so 
severely, that I could not pray any more. All that I 
saw excited me anew to sin. Therefore I closed my 
eyes. And I succeeded, at least from time to time, in 
praying with confidence. As I looked up during one 
of those moments, I noticed, how some one was just 
sprinkling me with Holy Water. The Holy Water 
drove away the enemy and gave me confidence and 
strength. Then I asked them to sprinkle me oftener 
with the blessed water!" Do you see? Such is the 
power of Holy Water. And the same is true of the 
other sacramentals. 

5. Another sacramental I should like to recommend 
to you is the holy rosary. Rosaries are also blessed 
and receive Indulgences. One might indeed pray with¬ 
out a rosary, but when one holds a blessed rosary in 
one's hands and tells the Hail Marys, one does not pray 


434 THE SACRAMENTS EXPLAINED 

alone, but the whole Church prays together with such 
a person. The Church blesses the rosary, and when a 
person prays the rosary he shares in the prayers and 
the blessings of the Church. 

The End. 


BY THE SAME AUTHOR 


THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS 

Explained in the Form of Questions and Answers 

Arranged and Illustrated for School Use and Suitable for 
the Instruction of Converts. 

18 mo.ix, 144 pp. 18 Half-tone Illustrations. Eighty-three 
Questions and Answers with Explanations in child 
language. 


SIXTH EDITION 

(Fifteenth Thousand) 

Over four hundred schools throughout the United States, Cana¬ 
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The Magnificat. Manchester, N. H., January, 1914. 

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Father Baierl has written for the little ones of Christ, and his suc¬ 
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Cloth-bound with Silk marker, Enamel paper. Price 50 cents. 
Imitation leather, cloth-lined, reinforced cover, Price 25 cents. 
Postage five cents extra to any address. A discount of 20% will 
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For Sale by: 

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BY THE SAME AUTHOR 


COLORED MASS CHARTS. 

Chart I. A Graphic Illustration of the Prayers and Parts of 
Holy Mass with Special Reference to the Canon. 

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Eminently Practical. No school complete without a Set. 

Price $1.50 per set of two Charts. Postage prepaid. 

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THE ECCLESIASTICAL REVIEW, May, 1919, Vol. LX, No. 5. 

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BY THE SAME AUTHOR 


THE CREED EXPLAINED 

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